The family of a young deaf man whose skull was bashed in during an attempted robbery, today said "justice has been done" as his killer was jailed for life after being convicted of murder.
In a majority verdict of 11-1, the jury at the Central Criminal Court found William Roche guilty of murdering 21-year-old Mr John Carroll, whose badly beaten body was found dumped in a lonely country boreen.
The accused had given evidence that Mr Carroll's skull was crushed with an iron ratchet "over a lousy few pounds" but blamed another man for killing him.
Mr Roche (23) a native of Limerick with an address at Millstream, Killaloe, Co Clare was also jailed for two and a half years for the false imprisonment of Mr Carroll. Last month, Deirdre Rose (21) of Clarisford, Killaloe, had her conviction for the murder of Mr Carroll overturned by the Court of Criminal Appeal.
Yesterday, the mother-of-two had the remaining four months of her sentence suspended for assaulting the deceased. A third defendant is due to stand trial for murder next month. During the four-week trial, the jury heard that Mr Carroll, from Cappamore, Co Limerick, was beaten by the accused and another man in Clarisford in a row over £30. The three had just returned from a local pub where the deceased man had bought them drink all evening. In the pub, William Roche noticed Mr Carroll's "wallet full of money" lying on the table. It was the State's case that he and the second man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, decided to "ambush" Mr Carroll.
The jury heard evidence that Mr Carroll, having been kicked and punched and left gasping for breath, was then put into the second man's car. The accused punched and kicked Mr Carroll in the back of the car as the second man drove through back roads until they reached an isolated boreen at Garraun, near Ballinahinch.
Mr Roche had told the jury that the second man took a foot-long ratchet from the boot of his car and hit Mr Carroll several times on the head while demanding money. The jury heard that the deceased man "who was helpless" was left lying on the ground dying as Mr Roche and the second man drove away. The accused had said that Mr Carroll was murdered "over a lousy few pounds" but claimed he had not assaulted him. He claimed he was taking him to hospital but the second man changed his mind on the way.
The court heard that Mr Roche, who has learning difficulties, has two previous convictions for minor offences. He left school at 15 and has a history of short-term employment.
Sentencing the accused to the mandatory life sentence, Mr Justice Kevin O'Higgins said he had to take into account that Mr Roche had assaulted the victim prior to the false imprisonment and jailed him for two and a half years on the second count. He refused leave to appeal on both counts.
Immediately after the verdict, Mr Carroll's twin sister, Johanna and his foster father, Martin Quish, expressed their gratitude to the jury for returning the verdict they had hoped for. Having to sit through harrowing evidence in two trials with yet another to face, was "harrowing" but he expressed gratitude to the legal team, the gardai and others for their support for the family throughout the ordeal.
Johanna Carroll said her brother was a "great character", very friendly and very popular among his fellow trainees in Fas in Limerick where he worked. "Justice has been done, although it won't bring John back," she said. "But it was the verdict we were hoping for. I knew he [Roche] was telling an awful lot of lies."