Brothers get life terms for murder of father of six

TWO BROTHERS who beat and stabbed a father of six to death in front of some of his children have both been given life sentences for murder.

Warren Dumbrell (34) and Jeffrey Dumbrell (28), from Emmet Place, Inchicore, Dublin, were found guilty of the murder of Christopher Cawley (36).

Mr Cawley died in front of the block of flats where he lived at Tyrone Place, Inchicore, Dublin, on October 29th, 2006.

The jury of eight women and four men, sitting at the Central Criminal Court in Cloverhill, took six hours and eight minutes to unanimously find the men guilty.

Warren Dumbrell was found not guilty of threatening to kill Janet Cawley, Mr Cawley's wife.

The mandatory sentence was imposed by Mr Justice Paul Carney. The court was told that Warren Dumbrell had 26 previous convictions and his brother eight. Both had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Cawley.

In her victim impact statement, Mrs Cawley said that all her children, who are aged between four and 16, had been traumatised by their father's death. "The children see no future without Christy," she said.

Mairéad, the eldest daughter, had dropped out of school, while Janice (14), who also witnessed her father being murdered, was put on antidepressants.

Christopher (12) and Jordan (10) needed home tuition; Lorcan (7), who witnessed his father's death, did not speak for three months; and Ryan (4), the youngest, constantly asked when his father was coming home and when he was going to ring him. "If he sees a man like Christy, he thinks it is him," she said.

Mrs Cawley said she too was on antidepressants and had not worked since her husband was killed. She revealed that her husband had bought her an engagement ring on the day before he died - she did not have an engagement ring at the time of their marriage - and a box of make-up on the day that he died. "I haven't opened it before. I will now," she told the court.

Afterwards she said she was pleased with the verdict, but it would be difficult for her children to live with what happened.