CRUEL & BRUTAL
Psycho jailed for life after murdering his girlfriend’s mother
A MAN was caged for life yesterday for the brutal murder of his girlfriend’s mother whose body was chopped up into 15 pieces.
Psycho Kieran Greene, 35, inflicted “catastrophic injuries” on 61-year-old Patricia O’connor when he battered her with a hurling stick in 2017.
The tragic grandmother’s body was buried in a shallow grave and later dug up and dismembered before being scattered across the Dublin and Wicklow mountains.
A court heard the victim’s siblings are “still in disbelief ” over the “cruel and brutal” murder and were sickened at the involvement of relatives, including her daughter, granddaughter and husband, in the cover-up.
Mrs O’connor’s son Richard said: “To process the amount of lies told to me by those who were my close family has led to many sleepless nights.”
A MAN whose mother’s remains were scattered in the mountains yesterday said the “brutality” of her killing and the “disgusting” cover-up will stay with him forever.
In a victim impact statement Patricia O’connor’s siblings also told the Central Criminal Court they are “still in disbelief” over her “cruel” murder and were sickened at the role played by her immediate family.
Kieran Greene, 35, was sentenced yesterday to life for murdering the retired grandmother in May 2017.
The father of three was convicted in February of inflicting “catastrophic injuries” on the 61-year-old in her home in Rathfarnham, South Dublin.
Greene had his sentence adjourned on April 20 until yesterday in light of the Covid-19 restrictions.
Louise O’connor, 41, Stephanie O’connor, 22, Keith Johnston, 43, and 76-yearold Augustine ‘Gus’ O’connor were in court yesterday for their sentence hearings which were also adjourned.
The victim’s daughter Louise O’connor, her granddaughter Stephanie O’connor and Keith Johnston were found guilty of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Greene, knowing or believing him to have murdered Mrs O’connor.
Patricia’s husband Augustine O’connor was part of the trial but pleaded guilty to reporting his wife as missing in June 1, 2017, knowing she was dead.
In an emotional victim impact statement, the deceased’s son Richard said: “Devastated, heartbroken and deceived, there are only a few words to describe how I’ve felt about the murder of my mum.
“My ability to have trust in people has changed. To process the amount of lies told to me by those who were my close family has led to many sleepless nights. Could I have prevented this? Why didn’t I see the deceit around me? How could people I called family do such an unspeakable act?”
“The revelation of how my mother was murdered, the brutality of the act, the cold-hearted way in which she was dismembered, the disgusting way it was covered up and then to find out who was involved will stay with me for the rest of my life.
“The memories of my childhood home destroyed.
HORRIFIC
“No son should ever have to hear how his mam’s life ended in such a brutal and horrific way.”
“Throughout the trial my mam was portrayed in such a despicable way, trying to make out that she was a horrible person which I, her family and friends knew she was not. My mam was healthy and full of life. To have her taken away from me so cruelly when she had so much life left to live has left me totally devastated.
“She was kind, caring and loving, always willing to help.
“I think about her all the time. Her love of gardening, art, baking and nature and how she can’t pass on her love and knowledge to my children.
“My children have lost their nana far too early, not to ill health but due to the disgusting acts and lies of others. My mam wanted to learn a new skill but found herself drained financially unable to focus on what she wanted.
“I ask myself why do parents feel obliged to help their adult children even though it causes tension.
“Why did my mam have to die due to the utter selfishness and laziness of others?”
“I think about my mam’s funeral and this upsets me beyond belief. There were some people there that shouldn’t have been, quietly moving through the funeral saying horrible things about my mam. I plan on honouring my mam properly once this is all over.”
“I put all of my trust in the gardai, the DPP, the courts and the jury, who I hoped could find the truth. I have now come to the conclusion I will never know the full truth.
“I thank everyone involved in getting justice for my mam. I thank the families, army and gardai who
To process the lies led to many sleepless nights
RICHARD O’CONNOR
CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT
found my mam, a horror I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I think of the impact on the innocent people involved, my family, my children, my other nieces and nephews.
“I’m at a loss to understand why after my mam’s murder they tried to destroy her character, photographs were destroyed to erase her memory.
“I now hold dear the photographs I have of my mam. Throughout the trial and even now no compassion, no care, no real emotion, no remorse has been shown.
“I never got to say goodbye to my mam, never got to see her face one last time. That was taken from me and I will never forgive any of them for that. I hope the sentencing given reflects the part each person had in this terrible crime, not only the actual act but the callous way it was covered
up.”
On behalf of her siblings, Mrs O’connor’s sister Colette Barry said they are “still in disbelief of her cruel and brutal murder. We were all sickened to find out who was involved in her murder”.
She added: “The lies that were told, the cruel cover-up of her murder – it has been shocking and utterly disgusting to sit through out the seven week trial to see all of their faces with no emotion of any kind. The people who truly knew her, her sisters, brothers, friends, colleagues, neighbours, will defend her kind, caring, loving nature, a jolly woman who sang out loud as she went about her day.
“They can never take those previous memories away from us.
“We are still trying to come to terms with the brutal and violent way her life came to an end. Trisha we love you.”
Michael P O’higgins SC, for Augustine O’connor, asked Richard O’connor to indicate to the court what effect his father’s role in the deception had on him.
He said: “He has nothing left, everything is gone, 40 years of living in
Churchtown, all gone. His whole life he tried to build himself as a certain type of man and even that is gone.”
After Mr Justice Paul Mcdermott handed Greene the mandatory life term, he said he has been given a great deal to consider and would sentence the other defendants on Friday.
They were each remanded on continuing bail. Greene had pleaded not guilty to murdering Mrs O’connor who was a retired hospital worker.
The seven-week trial heard her body was dismembered into 15 separate parts that were found at nine locations over a 30km range in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10 and 14, 2017.
We are trying to come to terms with the brutal way her life ended. Trisha we love you
COLETTE BARRY CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT YESTERDAY