The father of a man who died in hospital 11 days after being assaulted by two men said he and his wife are haunted by the memory of seeing their 29-year-old son lying "lifeless and bleeding on the street, surrounded by people trying to save his life".
Matt O'Neill's father Pat told a sentencing hearing for 20-year-old Jordan Deasy of Ravensdale, Heron's Wood, Carrigaline, Co Cork, and 21-year-old Ricardo Hoey, of Ardcarrig, Carrigaline, Co Cork that the thought of the "lonely terror and pain", their only child must have felt, will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
"When Matt's life support was turned off it was 29 minutes before he passed," Mr O'Neill said.
"A minute for every year of his life.
"We held his hand, it was 29 minutes of heart-breaking sadness that no parent should ever have to experience. This trauma will never leave us."
The two men had both pleaded not guilty to murdering the 29-year-old at the Glenwood Estate in Carrigaline on 28 December 2022.
The Central Criminal Court was told that an intoxicated Matt O'Neill was walking home with a bottle of wine when he got into an altercation with Hoey and Deasy, who claimed he would not move off the road as they were driving in the estate near his home.
They got out of the car and assaulted him on the ground before driving off when confronted by a neighbour.
Hoey handed himself in to the local garda station a short time later. Deasy was arrested three days later in Crosshaven, Co Cork.
Following a 14-day trial, and after deliberating for almost 19 hours, the jury of six women and six men last month found the two not guilty of Mr O'Neill's murder, but guilty of his manslaughter.
In his victim impact statement, Pat O'Neill said there will never again be Christmas in their home.
"In fact, it is unlikely there will ever be any celebration, after the mindless aggression and violence against our son and a complete lack of empathy, when they [Deasy and Hoey] could have just walked away."
An only child, Mr O'Neill said he, his wife Eileen, and Matt were very close. Born in Brisbane, Australia, his son loved water sports from an early age, and was able to swim before he could walk.
Trained in lifesaving he had been involved in many rescues in his lifetime.
At the age of 13, he helped rescue three people who had gotten into trouble in the sea. He gave two of them his surfboard to stay afloat and brought a third man ashore.
"Matt was 13 years old at the time. Even now, he has gone on to save a further three lives by donating his organs, which were successfully transplanted.
"Matt was a lovely person, he had a quiet and pleasant disposition and was a kind and gentle soul. He was tall and handsome and he liked to be well dressed.
"And now he is gone. The reality drops on each of us like a tone of bricks at some point every day.
"His clothes still hang in the wardrobe, he will never wear them again.
"If we go into his bedroom his scent is still there and we are reduced to sadness and tears with the realisation of his absence and an overwhelming feeling of sadness."
Mr O'Neill said his son had difficulties in recent years, but "where there is life there is hope, and we never lost hope or love for Matt.
"But that hope and any chance for his future has been taken away from us by a mindless, senseless, cowardly act with no respect for life.
"Having to ensure the graphic details and live through this again in court was extremely distressing.
"Matt loved us and we loved Matt."
Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford adjourned sentencing in the case until 31 July.
