A Tipperary man who took part in the killing of Galway pensioner Tommy Casey at his home in 1996, was given a six-year sentence today in the Central Criminal Court.
Ms Justice Carroll said she had taken into account the fact that the convicted man, Patrick O’Connor, was co-operating with gardaí in tracing another man involved in the attack. Supt Anthony Finnerty had told the court that gardaí expect to make an application soon to the courts in relation to that man.
Patrick O’Connor (37), a native of Poulboy, Kilgainey, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, and father of four, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of 68-year-old Mr Casey, who died between January 15th and 23rd 1996 at his home in Oranbeg, Oranmore, Co Galway.
Last December, the DPP accepted a lesser plea of guilty to manslaughter mid-way through O’Connor’s trial. The judge suspended the final three months of O’Connor’s six-year sentence to account for that plea.
Mr Casey’s body was found on his kitchen floor eight days after he was attacked in an attempt to get him to divulge the whereabouts of his savings.