A MAN has sentenced to life imprisonment in the Central Criminal Court after he pleaded guilty to the murder of a man in Clontarf, Dublin, in September last year.
Michael Downes (42), of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to murdering Finbar Dennehy (50), Seafield Road, Clontarf, Dublin, between September 24th and 26th last year.
Det Sgt Paul Slattery of Clontarf Garda station told the court that Downes and Mr Dennehy, both gay men, knew each other.
Mr Dennehy had been employed in Cadbury's and had retired early, before the age of 50.
Downes travelled to Dublin on the Sunday before the murder and arranged to meet Mr Dennehy. They socialised in pubs and returned to Mr Dennehy's apartment that evening.
Det Sgt Slattery said Mr Dennehy's body was found in his apartment the following Wednesday.
He was "tied up elaborately on the couch, a plastic bag was tied over his head and there was a pool of blood on the floor beside him". Mr Dennehy died from strangulation and a stab wound to the groin.
Downes was arrested at the Inn on the Liffey, Ormond Quay, that Friday. He told gardaí he had been with Mr Dennehy in his apartment the previous Monday and "a dispute had arisen in relation to sex".
Downes got a knife from the kitchen, returned to the living-room and asked Mr Dennehy for cash. Mr Dennehy pushed him and Downes pushed back.
He told gardaí there was a struggle and blood on the floor. Downes told gardaí he tied up Mr Dennehy on the couch, waited in the apartment that night and strangled him the next morning.
Reading from a victim impact statement, Mr Dennehy's sister told the court that Finbar "never wanted to be front-page news".
She said that the "most common words" in the cards the family have received since Finbar's death described him as "kind, witty, great fun".
"One year ago, two days after his 50th birthday, Finbar suffered a brutal death. Three days after that he was due to set off for a holiday in South Africa.
"He was a gentle person. Until this night, we doubt anyone was ever violent toward him. He died terrified and alone.
"This is not something we can blot out of our minds, and what are we left with? A totally pointless death and trying to live with it."
Outside the Four Courts, Tim Pickering spoke on behalf of friends of Mr Dennehy and criticised some media reporting of his death.
"Collectively, we wish to express our utter disgust with the manner in which the media chose to report Finbar's death," Mr Pickering said.
"Not only have we and the family the anguish of his death to contend with but the quest of the media to sensationalise and to report totally unfounded lies about Finbar's lifestyle and some of the circumstances surrounding his death is, to us, unforgivable. To the media we say, shame on you."