Self-confessed drugs dealer Joseph Delaney was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday for what the judge described as an "evil and foul" murder of "unspeakable savagery".
At the Central Criminal Court, Dublin, Delaney (54), formerly of La Rochelle, Naas, Co Kildare, was found guilty of the murder of Mark Dwyer (23) on or about December 14th, 1996. He was given a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
He was also convicted of falsely imprisoning Mr Dwyer and detaining him against his will at Foster Terrace, Ballybough, Dublin on December 14th, 1996, for which he received 15 years' imprisonment.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Quirke told Delaney he was guilty of a "particularly foul and evil crime because recruited others including [his] son to abduct [his] victim before subjecting him to unspeakable savagery before paying others to kill him".
During the 23-day trial, the jury heard that Mr Dwyer was shot dead after being tortured for a number of hours in what the prosecution alleged was a revenge killing, after 40,000 ecstasy tablets, believed to have been part of a drugs haul organised by the accused, went missing .
The convicted man's son, Scott Delaney, had testified against his father, saying that he had witnessed him agree a fee with a gunman to have Mr Dwyer shot and, when he protested, his father punched him in the face.
Another witness, Ms Adrienne McGuinness, previously told the court that she turned up the stereo and cowered beside the speakers to drown out the dead man's screams as he was tortured for hours in Delaney's home, thinking she might be next.
Mr Christopher Curry gave evidence for the prosecution, saying that Delaney had told him later that "the hardest thing he had to do was leave Scott in the field". The prosecution said Delaney left his son with the corpse of the dead man, in the field where Mr Dwyer was taken and shot, to "throw off the scent" and make Mr Dwyer's murder look like a revenge killing for the murder of drugs baron Jock Corbally, allegedly carried out by the deceased.
Telephone call evidence was also submitted during the trial that showed that numerous calls had been made on Delaney's mobile phone to Amsterdam shortly before the drugs haul and other calls were made to and from gunmen, allegedly involved in the murder, on the night of Mr Dwyer's death.
State Pathologist Dr John Harbison had given evidence to say that Mr Dwyer died from a laceration of the brain due to a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, fired at "virtual contact range".
Addressing Delaney, who stood passive and emotionless, Mr Justice Quirke told him he had "destroyed the lives of countless young people", directing his business from the "sewers of our society".
He said Delaney had shown "no mercy and no remorse and was entitled to no mercy" and sentenced him to life imprisonment on the first count of murder.
On the second count of falsely imprisoning Mr Dwyer against his will, Mr Justice Quirke told Delaney he had "recruited armed and dangerous criminals to abduct Mr Dwyer from his home with his head covered" before having him taken to his own home where he "paid for his death".
Mr Justice Quirke said this was "one of the gravest cases of false imprisonment that has come before the courts" and sentenced him to 15 years' imprisonment.
Mr Justice Quirke thanked the "courageous" gardai for their "tremendous assistance throughout this trial".
Addressing the jury, who took 1 hour 47 minutes to reach unanimous decisions on both counts, the judge thanked them "on behalf of the community for the great care and attention given" to the trial.
As the verdicts were passed, there were emotional scenes in the court from the deceased's mother who silently wept and another family member who patted the shoulder of one of the gardai in charge of the case.
Before sentencing for the false imprisonment was passed, Det Sgt Gerard McDonnell, from Fitzgibbon Street Garda station, gave background on Delaney, stating that he had a history of convictions, including running a brothel, common assault and dangerous and drunken driving.
Delaney is a separated man with three children, who worked for 23 years as a production manager with a chocolate manufacturer before getting involved in the taxi business, Det Sgt McDonnell said.
He said the convicted man's son, Scott Delaney, was serving a life sentence for the murder of Mr Dwyer and for falsely imprisoning him prior to his death.
Mr Justice John Quirke refused leave to appeal and stated that the sentences were to run concurrently, backdated from December 22nd, 1996, when Delaney was remanded in custody.