Two men have been sentenced to life in prison for beating a 34-year-old man to death in less than a minute in Dublin three-and-a-half years ago.
Philip Disney, 27, from Donomore Crescent in Tallaght and 30-year-old Sean Carlyle from Donomore Avenue in Tallaght denied murdering Vincent Parsons at Killinarden Way in August 2019, but were found guilty by a unanimous jury.
Mr Parsons' family said today he had been trying to get away but was "hunted down" by "the most remorseless people."
Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo said Disney and Carlyle subjected Mr Parsons to a pitiless beating assault and left him for dead.
Neither man expressed any remorse but smiled and winked during the sentencing and Carlyle shouted abuse at Mr Parsons' family as both men were led away to begin their life sentences.
Mr Parsons was at a friend's stag party on 24 August 2019 in the Killinarden Inn.
He had been drinking for several hours and started hugging people, some of whom became irritated.
Carlyle and Disney were in also in the pub and became agitated. Disney pointed at and spoke to Mr Parsons and had to be held back.
Following the interaction, Mr Parsons immediately ran from the pub, the prosecution said, "as if his life depended on it."
He ran but was not familiar with the area. Disney and Carlyle followed, got into Carlyle’s black van, and caught up with Mr Parsons at the green on Killinarden Way.
The father-of-two had been hiding behind a bush and had tried to run away when Disney and Carlyle arrived and spotted him. They beat and fatally injured him within 48 seconds and he died in hospital two days later on 26 August 2019 with his family by his bedside.
After the assault, Disney and Carlyle drove to Carlyle’s home, changed clothes, hid the van in a nearby housing estate and were back in the pub in 35 minutes to manufacture an alibi that they never left.
They were linked to the murder through blood stains, hand injuries, forensics and CCTV evidence.
Mr Parsons' watch, a gift from his daughter with the inscription, "To Dad, love Jade, Xmas 2011", was found in the black van.
Disney gave gardaí clothes he had not been wearing on the night, his runners and t-shirt were never found.
Detective Garda Conor Harrison told the court today that Disney has two previous convictions for road traffic offences, while Carlyle has 27 previous convictions, including a sentence of three years for violent disorder after he was involved in row in a pub in Tallaght.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Parsons' wife Claire said they had been going out with each other since they were 14 years of age and she had never seen him in a fight. He tried to walk away, she said, and since he died their world has fallen apart.
His sister Marion said the vision of Vincent in hospital with blood from his eyes, ears and nose surrounded by machines and tubes will never leave them. "All the damage was to his head," she said," how can anyone do this to another human being".
Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo said Mr Parsons was subjected to a short intensely violent assault which was not spontaneous.
"Nothing explains what motivated him to flee and them to pursue and murder him," the judge said. "Both (Disney and Carlyle) were composed and fully in control of their decisions. Mr Parsons was subjected to a pitiless beating, he offered no resistance and was left for dead."
