A JUDGE yesterday described an attack on "a gentle priest" during a robbery at his home in Cork as one of the worst crimes he had come across.
Judge A.G. Murphy was commenting on a case in which two brothers, Anthony and Seamus O'Brien, of Mangerton Close, The Glen, were charged with robbing and assaulting Father David Murphy on October 3rd, 1995, and with falsely imprisoning him. Seamus O'Brien had pleaded guilty to participating in the robbery at the last session of the Cork Circuit Criminal Court and Anthony changed his plea from not guilty to guilty yesterday.
On the opening day of the trial of Anthony O'Brien, Father Murphy said he spoke to a youth who called to his home inquiring about Mass times. A short while later, two others who had balaclavas covering their faces forced their way into his house.
He was struck on the head with the leg of a bar stool and later had his nose broken with the same weapon.
Judge Murphy said: "It is almost beyond comprehension and it is hard to suppress anger in trying to deal with it. It is in my view an astonishingly evil crime."
There was grave violence involved and the Father Murphy was lucky he was not more seriously injured.
Judge Murphy commended the gardai involved for their investigation of the crime. He sentenced both Anthony and Seamus O'Brien to six years in prison and he refused defence applications for leave to appeal against the severity of the sentences.