A DUBLIN man who deliberately ran down a 21-year-old Arklow man in his car has been sentenced to life in jail for murder. He is believed to be the first person in Ireland to be convicted of murder using a motor vehicle as a weapon.
At the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, Anthony O’Reilly (22) with an address at Cleggan Park, Ballyfermot, Dublin, was found guilty of murdering Daniel McDonald (21) by a jury of six men and six women.
Mr McDonald’s family was not in court when the verdict was read out, having just suffered another family bereavement, the court heard. Mr Justice Kevin O’Higgins told an unemotional O’Reilly that he had to sentence him to the mandatory life sentence, but he would be called back to be sentenced on the lesser charges of reckless endangerment and dangerous driving causing death on May 29th when Mr McDonald’s family would read a victim impact statement.
During the trial, the court heard the men had been fighting in Rascals disco in Arklow. After they were thrown out, they continued to trade abuse. O’Reilly ran and jumped into the passenger seat of a black car driven by Jenny Tobin as Mr McDonald kicked him through the passenger window.
Mr McDonald’s foot got stuck and O’Reilly told Ms Tobin to “drive the f***en car”. Mr McDonald fell free and Ms Tobin drove off with O’Reilly demanding to be taken to his friend’s house to get a shotgun.
Witnesses said O’Reilly was acting like “the antichrist” outside the disco, threatening bouncers and others and telling the victim he was “as good as dead”.
As Ms Tobin drove back into the main street, O’Reilly grabbed the steering wheel, forcing her car in the direction of Mr McDonald, who was standing near the footpath, but missed him.
O’Reilly then saw his friend Keith Ennis driving his own red Honda Civic. He got out of Ms Tobin’s car and into his own. He drove down main street and made an obscene gesture to Mr McDonald and his friend as he passed. He then drove back up the street as Mr McDonald walked on to the road to meet him.
Some witnesses said Mr McDonald put his hands up telling O’Reilly to stop, while others said the gesture was a “come on” challenge. Mr McDonald was thrown 24m (78ft) in the air on impact and sustained fatal injuries.