Man, 23, who was motivated by hostility and prejudice towards homosexual men is sentenced to life in prison for two murders in Sligo town

A MAN who murdered two gay men and seriously injured another in Sligo last year was given two life sentences at his sentencing hearing on Monday at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

A 20-year sentence was also imposed on Yousef Palani (pictured right), with an address at Markievicz Heights in Sligo, for the assault of another man. The hearing on Monday for Palani (23), with an address at Markievicz Heights in Sligo, was told he was motivated by hostility and prejudice towards homosexual men.

The court heard that one of the victims was decapitated and had 43 stab wounds.

Another was stabbed 25 times mainly to the head, neck, and chest. A third man who survived an attack lost sight in one eye after being stabbed by Palani.

The court heard he had targeted gay men living alone and had been obsessed with tying them up before killing them.

At the Central Criminal Court, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring sentenced the 23-year-old to the mandatory term for the murders of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee.

She also sentenced Palani to a concurrent sentence of 20 years for causing serious harm to a third man, Anthony Burke.

In passing sentence, Ms Justice Ring said that she was not going to repeat the “unspeakable violence” visited upon the innocent men in this case. Ms Justice Ring said that she too, shared the concerns of the victims’ families on what would follow from Monday’s sentencing and the potential headlines in the newspapers.

The judge pointed out that the details of the men’s lives should be more important than the details of their deaths.

Ms Justice Ring acknowledged that the men were “cherished and valuable” members of their communities. She said they were complete human beings, where their sexuality was a part of who they were. She said that they and their families have “nothing to be ashamed of”, adding that “shame is borne in this court by one person alone”.

The judge continued by saying that each of the three men should be proud of what they were to themselves and all who knew them.

Earlier, the judge had asked for a photograph of Mr Moffitt and Mr Snee as she said she needed “to see beyond the destruction and death”.

She went on to say: “The Moffitt family in their statement said that Aidan left memories too good to forget. I hope all the families know this to be true.

“None of these families will forget April 2022 but they will remember in time far more that is good than what occurred over the short hours that took them away.”

She wished the friends and relatives of Mr Moffitt and Mr Snee “some peace” into the future.

In the case of Mr Burke, the judge said that he had been given time to build new good memories.

She said she had considered the sequence of the events of this charge, noting that it had been followed by the murders of Mr Moffitt on April 9 and Mr Snee the next day. She added: “The loss of one’s eyesight is at the highest end of serious harm and brings incredible challenges to one’s life.”

The sentences are to date from when Palani went into custody on April 13, 2022.

Earlier on Monday the court heard Palani was motivated by hostility and prejudice towards homosexual men.

The court heard that Yousef Palani had exaggerated mental health issues to gardaí when he admitted the murders and told them voices in his head told him to do it.

However, while he had mentioned his Muslim religion forbade homosexuality, gardaí said he was not radicalised.

He was tracked down after gardaí issued a warning to people using the apps and was seen using the app nearby in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.

Palani, with an address at Markievicz Heights in Sligo, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court in July 2023 to the murder of Aidan Moffitt at Cartron Heights in Sligo on April 10 last year.

He also pleaded guilty to murdering Michael Snee at City View, Connaughton Road in Sligo, two days later on April 12.

He further pleaded guilty to intentionally causing serious harm to Anthony Burke on April 9. Prosecuting counsel Lorcan Staines told the Central Criminal Court the first incident took place on April 9, 2022, when 50-year-old Anthony Burke was stabbed in the eye by Palani. Mr Burke told gardaí he had met Palani through a dating app, and he had been at his house the previous day but he was “wary of him” and did not allow him to stay overnight.

He said Palani contacted him the following day and they arranged to meet that evening.

Palani came to his house and was “obsessed” with tying him up and produced a rope and black laces from his pocket, but he would not allow him to do it.

Mr Burke said he gave the man oral sex but would not allow him to have sex with him.

Mr Burke became uncomfortable with him and wanted him out of the house.

He decided to walk with him towards the cemetery to try to get him away from his house but when he turned to go home, he was hit from behind and “saw stars”.

Palani left the scene on his bike. The court heard Mr Burke had been stabbed in the eye and has lost his sight in that eye.

Mr Staines said the second victim Aidan Moffitt was discovered by two friends who had become concerned when they could not contact him. They went to his home on 11 April 2022 and discovered his body. He had been decapitated and his head placed on the bed while his body was on the floor with his hands tied behind his back and a knife had been placed in his hand.

Mr Staines said he had 94 sharp injuries including 43 stab wounds.

CCTV showed a man entering his home earlier that day and leaving in just under an hour.

Gardaí were investigating both crimes when a second body was found. Michael Snee, a 58-year-old hospital porter and carer, was discovered by his nieces who were concerned after a warning was issued to those using dating apps in the area.

The court was told his nieces got a strong smell of bleach after entering his home and could see the area was soaked with bleach and blood. Mr Snee had also been tied up and stabbed multiple times to his head, chest and neck.

The first victim, Anthony Burke could see on his own social media apps that the suspect was still active on the app and was within 500 metres of his location.

After giving details to Gardaí, Palani was arrested on suspicion of murder. Mr Staines said he was questioned by gardaí and at first denied any involvement but later told gardaí that “voices” told him to do it.

He denied to gardaí that he was gay and said it was prohibited under Islam.

In a third interview he gave a graphic description of how he carried out the attacks and told gardaí he had not been mentally well for seven years. He also said: “I don’t hate gay people. It was the voices.”

However, Mr Staines said no psychiatric report was ever given to gardaí or the prosecution and he appeared to have exaggerated his mental health issues.

Mr Staines said he had been motivated by hostility and prejudice to homosexual men.

The court heard Palani was born in Iraq and came to Ireland aged six. His parents had been naturalised Irish citizens in 2020.