A Dublin man walked free from court yesterday after having his sentence for violent disorder, arising from events surrounding the killing of a man, discharged.
On February 2nd, Mr William Broderick (23), of Cathedral View Walk, Dublin, had been found not guilty of the murder of Mr John Murray, but guilty of violent disorder at a house at Parlickstown Green, Mul huddart, Dublin, on February 15th, 1998.
Mr Broderick was sentenced to 18 months, suspended, on May 2nd on the lesser charge of violent disorder, with an order to carry out 120 hours' community service under terms set out by the probation service.
The case came before the court yesterday for assessment on whether Mr Broderick had complied with the conditions of his sentence.
During the brief hearing Mr Justice McCracken said he was satisfied Mr Broderick had complied with the terms of the order and discharged the case.
Mr Broderick had been tried in February with Stephen Doyle (25), of Balcurris Road, Ballymun, for the murder of Mr Murray, whom Doyle mistakenly believed had molested his daughter.
Doyle was found guilty of murder and given a mandatory life sentence as well as a three-month sentence for the lesser charge of violent disorder, to run concurrently.
The court had previously heard Mr Murray had died from multiple kicks to the head following a violent assault.
The Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, had told the court that Mr Murray died from "blunt force trauma to the head", which had "imprints of footwear indicating he had been kicked to the head".
Doyle's ex-girlfriend, Ms Caroline O'Connor, had been at her home with another woman, in Parlickstown Green, when Doyle, Mr Broderick and two other men arrived at the door at around 4 a.m. Mr Murray had been asleep in an upstairs bedroom after having been invited to stay there by Ms O'Connor, who feared for her safety following past altercations. Mr Murray was "set upon, dragged from the bed and violently assaulted around the head and upper body," the court had heard.
Mr Broderick told gardai he had been downstairs when the attack occurred and later entered the bedroom where Mr Murray had been assaulted. "I felt a faint pulse. He was unconscious, knocked out. I pulled him up by the arms and put him in the recovery position and put a duvet behind him to support him in case he fell backwards," Mr Broderick's statement read.
In a statement to gardai, Doyle said that while he denied murder, he was "very sorry for kicking the chap. I didn't mean him any harm. I feel sick about what happened."