A mandatory life sentence was yesterday imposed on a 27-year-old Co Kerry man for the murder of his sister, Elizabeth McCarthy (32), in September 2004.
The court was told Robert O'Brien, a settled Traveller, of St John's Park, Castleisland, Co Kerry confessed to being high on drink and drugs when he murdered his sister, a mother of three, at the the Quay, Blennerville outside Tralee on September 28th, 2004.
On the fifth day of his trial at the Central Criminal Court in Ennis, Mr O'Brien changed his plea to "guilty" after Mr Justice Paul Carney ruled that evidence where Mr O'Brien confessed to killing his sister was admissible.
In the absence of the jury, the court was told by four gardaí that Mr O'Brien said he killed his sister when high on drink and drugs when giving evidence under oath at a bail hearing at Cloverhill Court in October 2004.
After Mr Justice Carney made his ruling that the evidence could be put before the jury, Mr O'Brien, a married father of three children under five, changed his plea after three hours of consultation with his legal team.
During the sentencing hearing last night, Robert and Elizabeth's father, Michael snr said: "None of the family bear Robert anger." Mr O'Brien told the court: "Whatever happened on that night, we will never know. Robert is heartbroken." He said Robert "has been very quiet all his life. We don't know what happened."
From a family of 14, Mr O'Brien told the court that Elizabeth was the third child they have lost. "We are trying now to get on with our lives. We have been going through hell and I am doing all I can to hold things together."
Asking if Elizabeth McCarthy's husband, Patrick, wished to make a victim impact statement to court, Mr Justice Carney told Diarmuid McGuinness SC, prosecuting:
"I would like you to ensure that in the impact statement that no hand grenades are lobbed in the course of it."
The court was later told Mr McCarthy would not be giving evidence. Mr McGuinness said the State would not be proceeding with the charge of attempted rape of Elizabeth.
The court heard the accused drove his sister to the Quay, Blennerville after they both attended a cousin's wedding. At the quay, Mr O'Brien dumped his sister's body in the sea after beating and strangling her.