A man has been convicted of fatally stabbing his brother following a family funeral last year.
Fergus O’Connor, aged 41, from Scartaglen, Castleisland, Co Kerry, was found guilty of murdering his brother Paudie O’Connor, 42. He will be sentenced before the Christmas holidays, reports Breaking News.
Paudie died at the scene from a single stab wound, measuring 17cm, that penetrated his chest, pierced his heart, and damaged his liver.
The Central Criminal Court, sitting in Limerick, heard that the jury reached a guilty verdict by a majority of 11 to 1 after nearly seven hours of deliberation, reports Breaking News.
During the seven-day trial, it was revealed that the brothers were seen drinking together in a Kerry pub on June 27th, 2024, after attending a cousin’s funeral.
Fergus O’Connor told gardaí after his arrest that he acted in self-defence, claiming Paudie came at him with a knife in the early hours of June 28th, reports Breaking News.
He also said Paudie had punched him several times and that he responded by elbowing him in the face.
Dr Margaret Bolster, the assistant state pathologist, testified that she had carried out a post-mortem examination on Paudie’s body, reports Breaking News.
She stated that Paudie died from a single stab wound that entered his chest, grazed a rib, punctured the right side of his heart, and continued into his liver.
According to Dr Bolster, “the entire stab wound was 17cm in length.”
She told the court that based on blood patterns at the scene, Paudie had walked downstairs after being stabbed and then collapsed and died “quickly” due to the severity of the wound, reports Breaking News.
Toxicology results showed Paudie’s blood alcohol content was over five times the legal driving limit.
Fergus O’Connor was also intoxicated to the point that he was declared unfit for questioning after his arrest, according to a locum doctor who assessed him at the Garda station, reports Breaking News.
The cause of death was hemopericardium, where 250ml of blood filled the sac around the heart, leading to fatal pressure on the heart’s ability to pump.
“The person goes into shock and dies,” said Dr Bolster, reports Breaking News.
The court also heard that aside from some “superficial” bruises and scrapes, there were no other serious injuries on the body.
Dr Bolster agreed with the prosecution, led by senior counsel Michael Delaney and assisted by Tom Rice BL, that her scene notes described Paudie’s body as “lying on its back, covered by blankets, both arms were in a spreadeagled position, the legs were extended, and the body was heavily bloodstained.”
She continued, “A stab wound could be seen on the left of the thorax, the entire body was heavily bloodstained, including the soles of (Paudie’s) feet. Blood was also present inside the house.” The body was heavily blood-smeared, including the face, the thorax of the chest, both lower limbs and feet,” reports Breaking News.
She confirmed there were no defensive injuries present on the body.
A Southdoc GP gave testimony about assessing Fergus at Tralee Garda Station and found him unfit for interview due to his intoxicated state, reports Breaking News.
The jury heard that Fergus appeared highly anxious and was covered in blood when he arrived at the Garda station.
His barrister, senior counsel Mark Nicholas, alongside Caroline O’Connell and instructed by Eimear Griffin of Padraig O’Connell Solicitors, noted that once Fergus’s face was cleaned at the station, it revealed a visible injury “above his eye, on his forehead,” reports Breaking News.
Gardaí told the court they recovered two knives near the location—one in a ditch and another in a roadside drain—but both were described as aged and weathered blades.
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