MARTA HERDA FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER OF CSABA ORSOS IN ARKLOW TREE AT BROOKLODGE IN CSABA’S MEMORY

THE staff at Brooklodge Hotel made a poignant tribute to Csaba Orsos last week by planting a memorial tree.

The tree bears a memorial plaque ‘Csaba’s Tree’ in memory of Csaba who worked in the hotel alongside his killer Marta Herda.

Csaba’s brother Zoltan, also a former employee at the Brooklodge, was invited to stay at the upmarket hotel while he was in Ireland to attend Herta’s trial.

In an emotional victim impact statement Zoltan had told court that although Brooklodge had kept his position open for a year after his brother’s death he had been unable to find the strength to return to work at the hotel.

‘I didn’t have the strength,’ he said. ‘Occasionally I thought about it, “okay, I return”, but I realised I could not work with a smile any more there – everything would remind me of Csaba.’

He said it was no good without him. He had taught him the language and everything about catering. He said his plan to work in Ireland for a long time had been shattered.

After the tree was unveiled a distraught Zoltan took a picture of it and said he had ‘no words’ about such a generous gesture.

Hotel manager Manish Pallewar said that the effects of the ‘ terrible incident’ was felt by all the staff, the majority of whom worked beside Herda and Mr Orsos.

‘Our thoughts are with the members of both their families. It was a terrible incident. It is a sad moment for both sides’, he said, adding that the prayers of everyone were with the families.

Sources close to the case praised both the Hungarian Embassy and the Garda Travel Bureau for facilitating travel arrangements for the family of Csaba to attend the trial. Zoltan had returned to his native Hungry after the murder of his brother because he had been unable to face life in Ireland without him.

He said he is still tormented by the thoughts of his brother’s death.

‘When I had to identify my dead brother, my heart teared apart because of the pain,’ he said. ‘I remember every moment of it, it will stay with me forever. He was so cold. I would have never thought that this way I have to say goodbye to him. Sometimes because of the pain in my chest I want to scream.’

He said that, he had since dreamed that his brother was walking towards him on the beach, dead, waking him up from his dream, cold and shaking.

‘But next day again I dreamed with him as he was walking towards me pale without T-shirt, I woke up.’

Herda’s murder conviction is only the second time tin the history of the State that a person has been convicted of using a car to carry out a murder.

Bizarrly the only other case also took place in Arklow.

Anthony O’Reilly of Ballyfermot received a life sentence after he was convicted of murdering Daniel McDonald (21) on February 2, 2007, on Arklow’s Main Street.

O’Reilly and Mr McDonald had been fighting in Rascal’s disco on the night in question. After being thrown out the pair continue to trade abuse.

Witnesses recalled that outside the club O’Reilly threatened bouncers and others telling Mr McDonald he was dead.

O’Reilly got into his car and drove up the street as Mr McDonald walked on up the road to meet him.

The court heard that O’Reilly’s Honda Civic went in Mr McDonald’s direction and when his car struck Mr McDonald O’Reilly was in the wrong lane driving at about 50mph.

Mr McDonald was knocked over 100 feet down the Main Street shattering his skull and tearing his brain tissue in the process.