JUSTICE IS A JOKE
Heartbroken parents of knife victim blast killer’s sentence
THE furious parents of a man stabbed to death in a B&B branded Ireland’s justice system a “f ***** g joke” yesterday. Frank and Marion Conroy spoke of their anger after evil killer Terry Connors, 42, was caged for five years for knifing their son Peter. The thug will be a free man in July 2019 after his sentence was backdated. Mr Conroy said: “Seven years, with two suspended for another person’s life. Where’s the justice in that?”
THE grieving parents of a man stabbed to death slammed a judge yesterday after their son’s killer was sent down for five years.
Terence Connors, 42, was charged with murdering Peter Conroy, 25, at a B&B in June 2015. His admission of manslaughter but not guilty plea to murder was rejected by the State. In December Connors – who had been drinking and taking cocaine on the night – was found guilty of the killing. At the Central Criminal Court yesterday, Connors was handed a seven-year sentence with the last two suspended. But he will be freed in July 2019 – in just two-and-ahalf years – as the sentence was backdated to October 2015. Connors also gets 25% remission, cutting the term by a further 15 months. Speaking outside court, the victim’s parents Frank and Marion Conroy broke down as they slammed Judge Paul Butler’s sentence. Mr Conroy said: “Peter was a loving son. He was a rock. He was a loving father. “He didn’t deserve to be killed the way he was killed. He got no justice. Seven years, with two suspended? Where’s the justice? “He stabbed him four times and got manslaughter. How can you put a time on a person? Where’s is the justice? The justice system is a f ***** g joke in this country. “His kids can see him walking around, go visit him. We will never see our son again.” Earlier, Mr Justice Butler was forced to adjourn the hearing when friends and relatives of the dead man reacted angrily as the sentence was handed down. Gardai were forced to remove several people from the court after one woman shouted “He (Connors) is laughing in our faces” and one man rushed at the accused sitting in the dock. Another woman in the gallery shouted at the killer: “If he smiles once more, I’ll f ***** g punch him.” The trial was told Connors believed his children were in danger as the fighting between guests of the B&B and non-residents intensified when he fatally stabbed his victim in Palmerstown, South Dublin,. Judge Butler said although the accused had returned to the scene of the brawl with a knife and was “seen to make a downwards motion towards the deceased” on CCTV, “the killing lacked the intention of a murder conviction”.
REMORSE
The judge added the accused, whom he described as being from “a Travelling background”, had “expressed remorse from the bottom of his heart”. However, he said the fact Connors, from Drumcairn Avenue, Tallaght, South Dublin, returned to the scene of the fight with a knife had been an aggravating factor in sentencing. The accused was also sentenced to two months’ jail for assaulting Elaine Blunt during the same brawl but this was suspended in full. During a previous
sentencing hearing the killer took the stand to apologise to the Conroy family. As he spoke a woman in the public gallery shouted that he should be ashamed of himself and then she turned to members of his family and shouted: “I am going to kill all of you.” A garda removed her and Justice Paul Butler warned he would adjourn the hearing if there were any more outbursts. When the jury returned its verdict, there were angry scenes with several people held back from the killer by prison guards and gardai. After the court had settled down, Connors described his victim as “a good man” and, addressing the Conroy family, said: “I am very sorry and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Not one day goes by that I don’t pray for him.” Moments earlier Mrs Conroy said. “We were so proud and very happy to see the man he had become. He was a kind, loving and funny person. A great son, brother and father.” She described her son as a gentleman who “was always happy to help out anyone with anything”. Mrs Conroy said he was the head of the family and “without him we are lost”. She added. “All we do is cry and talk about him. We feel alone, miserable and hurt. “We can never see our son’s smiling face or hear his laughter or his jokes. “Terry Connors took everything from us the day he took Peter. Our hearts died with him and we will never be the same people again. “He not only robbed us of our precious son but he robbed us all of our lives. He has broken us.” Det Insp Colm O’malley told the court Connors had 38 previous convictions, mostly for road traffic offences. None were for violent crimes. His most recent conviction was in 2014 when he was sentenced at Killarney District Court for five months after entering a building with intent to commit an offence.
CONVICTED
Outlining the events that led to the killing, the detective agreed with defence counsel Garnet Orange the convicted man had been at a wedding party in Sallynoggin where he drank alcohol and took cocaine. He came home to the B&B in Palmerstown, went to sleep and some time later awoke to hear shouting and his sons calling “Daddy, daddy”. Detective O’malley agreed the reason for the fracas is unknown but two men who did not live at the B&B had sneaked in and were involved in a brawl. He said Connors appeared to believe someone had a knife and his children were in danger. The killer grabbed a knife before going to where the fight was happening and as the violence intensified in the hallway of the B&B he stabbed Conroy. In his submissions, Mr Orange pointed out to the sentence hearing Connors had admitted his role in the killing and pleaded guilty to manslaughter from the outset. He said his client had shown genuine remorse both during interviews with gardai and in court and had no ill-will towards the deceased. Mr Orange asked the judge to consider a similar case which had resulted in an eight-year sentence for a man convicted of manslaughter with a knife.
He stabbed him four times and got manslaughter. Justice system is a f ***** g joke. FRANK CONROY OUTSIDE CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT YESTERDAY