Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Two jailed for kicking and beating musician to death Men sentenced over pub attack
TWO men were jailed yesterday for a fatal attack outside a pub that killed a musician.
Ryan Macrea, 32, and from Killyleagh, Co Down, died nine days after he was punched and kicked outside the Fiddler’s Green bar in Portaferry in October 2018.
Jordan Donnelly, 21, from Ardminnan Road in the town and 30-year old Robert Kiernan from Princetown Road in Bangor were sentenced at Belfast Crown Court by Mr Justice O’hara.
The pair denied a charge of murder, but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Donnelly, who has a clear criminal record, received an eight year sentence while co-accused Kiernan – described by the judge as being a “persistently aggravating character” on the evening of the fatal incident got nine years.
Both men appeared via a videolink with Maghaberry, and were informed that their sentences will be divided equally between custody and licence.
As he sentenced the pair, Mr Justice O’hara spoke of the impact Mr Macrea’s death has had on his parents Gordon and June, and his sister Rebecca. Mr Macrea was attacked in the early hours of October 14 and was rushed to the Ulster Hospital. He sustained a fractured skull and multiple brain injuries and was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital, where he passed away on October 23.
Mr Justice O’hara said that after viewing CCTV footage from both inside and outside the bar, it was clear all three men were drunk.
In a fatal altercation outside the bar which lasted less than 10 seconds, Mr Macrea threw a punch at Kiernan which mi ss e d , a n d D o n n e l ly reacted by punching Mr
Macrea in the face which caused him to fall back and hit his head firstly off a wall then on the ground.
As Mr Macrea lay motionless on the ground , Kiernan stamped on Mr Macrae’s head twice – then Donnelly lifted Mr Macrae’s upper body off the ground by the jacket before throwing him back on the ground with force.
In a statement by Rebecca to Donnelly and Kiernan, she said: “I don’t believe you woke up that morning and set about your day in the knowledge that that night you were going to end someone’s life – but you did. You did do that.
“I can only hope that you are sorry for what you did and will have a positive impact on your lives going forward – because unlike my brother, you still have a life to live.”
As he sentenced Kiernan to nine years and Donnelly to eight, Mr Justice O’ Hara said he considered the worst aggravating factor to be the “double stamp on the head”
administered by Kiernan.