Irish drug addict jailed over double murder in London

Paul O’Shea (37) stabbed and beat two men to death in King’s Cross flat

Paul O’Shea. Photograph: London Metropolitan Police
Paul O’Shea. Photograph: London Metropolitan Police

An Irish heroin addict has been given a minimum 32-year jail term for the hammer and knife killing of two men in a London flat.

Paul O’Shea (37), from Portlaoise, Co Laois, killed 48-year-old Moroccan national Othamane Majdouline and Portuguese national Leandro Da Silva (47) in a flat near King’s Cross on January 2nd.

The Old Bailey heard O'Shea had gone to the flat shortly before 6pm to buy drugs from Majdouline, a small-time drugs dealer.

Both victims were hit repeatedly with a hammer and suffered multiple stab wounds. The trial heard O’Shea started a fire in the flat in bid to cover up the killings.

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Firemen removed the bodies from the flat and it was discovered that Majdouline had been struck four times on the head with the hammer, before he was stabbed in the chest and three times in the neck.

Da Silva had been stabbed three times in the chest, once through the heart, and he had also been hit 10 times with the hammer.

O’Shea was arrested three days later.

Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy is Ireland and Britain Editor with The Irish Times