‘You were too good for us all’
Devastated brother’s tribute to musician killed after being ‘beaten and thrown into a river’ in Georgia
THE grief-stricken brother of an Irish musician who was ‘beaten and thrown into a river’ in Georgia has paid tribute saying ‘you were too good for us all’.
The body of Tom Kennedy, 28, from Co. Mayo, washed up in the Mtkvari river near Gori, about 80km west of the capital Tbilisi, three days after his death allegedly at the hands of five Georgian citizens.
A GoFundMe page to raise funds to bring his body back to Ireland has already raised over €40,000.
Tom’s brother James Kennedy wrote an emotional message on Facebook, saying: ‘I love you so much bro, you were the most amazing gentleman this world had to offer.
‘You were too good for us all, I don’t honestly know how we will go on without you, but thank you so much for blessing us with the most amazing and funny stories we could ever wish for, and giving me 28 years of fantastic memories that an older brother could ever wish for. As I told you many times, you made me and the rest of the family so, so proud.
‘I’ll miss you forever Tom. I love you more than I could ever even try to describe. You legend.’
More details of Mr Kennedy’s killing have emerged with a Georgian police investigation suggesting he was alive but unconscious when thrown into the river. A court was told that the group of men who attacked and robbed him panicked and fled, throwing Mr Kennedy into the river in a bid to conceal the crime.
Mr Kennedy was thrown into the water in Gori city, but his body travelled 3km down river before being discovered three days later.
Giorgi Balashvili, 28, along with his friends Giorgi Okhanashvili, 17, Giorgi Kareli, 20, and Zura Palavandishvili, 19, were taken into custody on suspicion of murder along with Vasil Okropiridze, 24, who denied any part in the plot.
Talented musician Mr Kennedy, 28, was ‘targeted’ by the group according to police.
Prosecutors told the court that after a day trip to the Joseph Stalin Museum, Mr Kennedy began speaking with street busker Mr Okropiridze when four local ‘shady’ Georgians invited him for beers, The Times reported.
His phone, wallet and credit card were missing when he was found, prompting police to launch a murder investigation when they discovered his phone had been sold in a local pawn shop.
Mr Okropiridze has denied not notifying police of the plot, which he claims he had no part in.
While the other defendants have admitted robbery but denied murder, saying Mr Kennedy was running away from the fight when he fell into the river and drowned.
Mikheil Beriashvili, a prosecutor, told the court: ‘The prosecution is not satisfied with the defence’s argument that the victim himself jumped or fell into the river.
‘We believe we are dealing with a premeditated murder in order to destroy the incriminating evidence of another crime – robbing. This was also carried out against a person who was helpless.’
Relatives have paid tribute to the ‘kind’ musician, who is survived by his devastated parents Eddie and Cathy, along with his six brothers, including his twin, Pat.
His cousin Olivia Barrett, told RTÉ: ‘Tom was a gentle soul, he wouldn’t hurt a fly. He always said: “I’ll be famous some day, Ma. I’ll be famous some day.” It is just very, very heartbreaking that it took this to happen for him to be heard.’ Aunt Patricia Pointon wrote online: ‘RIP my beautiful nephew. You were unique in every way. One of the kindest souls to walk this earth, you trusted your heart and played your music as a genius! We will never forget you.’
Her husband Darren Pointon, told the Irish Daily Mail that Mr Kennedy had left the family home in Co. Mayo after communicating with a Georgian girl online.
Mr Pointon said: ‘He was a lovely, talented lad who lived for music. He played the guitar, violin and piano and used to do a bit of busking himself and wrote his own songs. Maybe that is how he got talking to these people.’
‘He wouldn’t hurt a fly’