Hearing how he begged for his life haunts me
Adam’s sister tells of heartache as killer jailed for stab attack frenzy
THE SISTER of a homeless man who was stabbed 183 times in a frenzied knife attack said hearing how he begged for life will haunt her.
Katie Muldoon added her brother Adam was “the light in any room” as she delivered a powerful statement to the Central Criminal Court in which she said the killer had shown no remorse f or the “gruesome” murder.
In a second victim impact s t a t e ment, Adam’s f a t h e r Michael Bolger wrote that the family “can’t understand how anyone could be so callous and brutal to inf lict such a death on such a sweet and innocent person”.
Philip Dunbar, 20, was yesterday d sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 23- year- old Adam “Floater” Muldoon at Butler Park, Tallaght, Dublin, on June 22 or 23, 2018.
Dunbar stabbed the victim 183 times in an unprovoked attack with a fold- up knife and then went to a friend’s house where he boasted he had “slaughtered Floater” and “put him out of his misery” as he “begged for his life”. He was found guilty of murder by a unanimous jury verdict at the Central Criminal Court earlier this week.
One witness testifed that the accused tol d him: “Now I know what it’s like to be a killer. I know how it feels to be a killer.”
The victim’s younger si st er Kati e Muldoon d e l i v e r e d a p ower f u l statement to the Central Criminal Court yesterday, saying Adam had struggled f rom bir th having been diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
He struggled to fit in, his sister added, and despite facing obstacles throughout hi s l i f e, par t i cul arly f ol l owing hi s mother’s death, he kept fighting.
Katie said: “He was the light in any room.”
When the siblings’ mother died, Katie said the family became separated and Adam moved to Tallaght where other teenagers would take advantage of him.
But she said he “overcame ever y challenge independently ” and would “have a giggle with anybody. He really wouldn’t hurt a f ly”.
Katie also told how her life crashed when Adam was murdered.
On the day she was supposed to be celebrating her 16th birthday, her family held a wake for her brother.
She felt powerless and “everything has been downhill from there”.
Katie said her “heart aches” as she thinks of Adam’s final moments and the fear he must have felt.
She added: “Hearing how he begged for his life haunts me.”
At times she couldn’t even say her brother’s name as it would cause her to have a panic attack.
She told how her physical and mental health began to suffer, adding: “There
was no good left in the world. Everything was just dark.”
She said her brother didn’t deserve such a “gruesome” death and said the family had to endure a trial because Dunbar pleaded not guilty.
Katie added: “His l ack of emotion shows he has no remorse for what he has done.”
Mr Justice Paul Mcdermott said the deceased’s life and the challenges he faced had been brought to the forefront by the “eloquent” statements made by his family.
He sentenced Dunbar to life imprisonment backdated to June 24, 2018, when he first went into custody.
Counsel f or Dunbar, Giol l ai o s a O’ Lideadha SC, indicated his client intends to appeal the verdict.
Outside court Supt Ian Lackey said the family and friends of Adam had been suf fering since hi s “senseless murder”.
He added he hopes the verdict and sentence handed down will offer them some comfort.
He also thanked the people who came forward to provide the evidence that convicted Dunbar.
He was the light in any room and wouldn’t hurt a fly KATIE MULDOON YESTERDAY