Man jailed for beating his grandad to death over sex abuse claims
A 23-YEAR-OLD man who said he “snapped” and beat his grandfather to death after the pensioner allegedly admitted sexually abusing people has been jailed for four and a half years for manslaughter.
The Cork pensioner was found dead by his wife, lying in a pool of blood, after she returned home from working a night shift, the Central Criminal Court was told.
The court also heard despite her efforts to be rehoused, the victim’s wife remains living at the scene of the violent killing.
In a letter of apology to his family and the deceased’s wife, the defendant wrote: “I do want to apologise to my grandfather. I had no right to be his judge and jury.”
In March, Christopher O’Callaghan, of Woodview, Pinecroft, Grange, Douglas, Co Cork, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of his grandfather Joseph O’Callaghan (66) on July 2, 2018, at Galway’s Close, Galway’s Lane in Douglas.
Sentencing Christopher O’Callaghan at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said he was satisfied the accused did not set out with the “remotest intention” to kill or cause serious injury to his grandfather, but that is what had happened.
He highlighted the accused had not been entitled to beat up his grandfather for any alleged wrongdoing against two individuals.
A victim impact statement was read to the court by Detective Inspector Vincent O’Sullivan on behalf of Joseph O’Callaghan’s wife, Angeline O’Callaghan, who said her husband was “needlessly and selfishly killed”.
“Joe was a friend, a kindhearted man, he was a joker and always made me and everyone around laugh,” she said. “On the night, I left for work, I said my goodbyes and told Joe that I would see him in the morning.
“Little did I know that the following morning I would be walking into a crime scene, where I found Joe lifeless on the floor. There was blood on the wall, bedding and floor.”
She said she was dealing with enormous stress and depression from all the challenges that Mr O’Callaghan’s death left her.
“The home I once shared with Joe remained a crime scene for a very long time, a time during which I had to be put up by friends.
“I tried the council to be rehoused but to no avail, approached TDs and the Tánaiste for assistance but even they were not able to help me, and I am expected to carry on with life as normal in a house that was the scene of a violent killing.”
Passing sentence, Mr Justice McDermott said the accused had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol before knocking on his grandfather’s door and asked him straight away if he had sexually abused the two named individuals.
The grandfather refused to give him an answer at first but then said he had, said the judge, and the accused “snapped”.
Mr Justice McDermott emphasised that the defendant had told gardaí he could hear his grandfather breathing when he left the house.
Christopher O’Callaghan was sentenced to six years of imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended.