A Co Wicklow man has been jailed for life for the murder of a shopkeeper in Arklow.
Anthony Farrell (20) of Marian Villas in Arklow, was found guilty last month of murdering John Deasy (48) at Brauder’s newsagents on November 25th, 2009.
Farrell stabbed Mr Deasy who challenged him after he had stolen €50 from the till.
Shop assistant Kay O’Connor had screamed for help when Farrell appeared wearing a balaclava, wielding a kitchen knife and demanding money.
Mr Deasy ran from his overhead apartment and tried to block Farrell’s escape, but he stabbed him through the heart, leaving him to die in the doorway.
A Central Criminal Court jury unanimously found Farrell guilty of the murder following his trial in April. He had pleaded guilty to robbery at the outset of the trial.
Victim impact statements on behalf of Mr Deasy’s ex-wife, Brianne Finn, and their two daughters. aged 13 and 16, were read out for the court during Farrell’s sentence hearing today.
Ms Finn said Mr Deasy’s “untimely death” was a very “difficult transition” for her and her daughters. She said he was “a good dad” who had always stayed in the lives of his daughters following their divorce.
She said it was very difficult to be around the town and she was reminded of the killing every time she passed the shop.
She said her daughters found it very difficult to pas the shop, which they had to every time they visited their grandparents.
In handing down sentence, Mr Justice Paul Butler described it as a “very sad and tragic case”.
He said Mr Deasy died while he was “bravely trying to defend his property and Ms O’Connor”.
Mr Justice Butler said there were other victims in the case too and he was very aware that Farrell was from a decent family and the crime had had a very serious affect on them.
However, he said “they will have the facility to see their son in the future, which other victims do not.”
He sentenced Farrell to the mandatory life imprisonment for murder, and to six years for the robbery. Both sentences were backdated to April 2010 when Farrell first went into custody.
Mr Deasy’s daughters embraced their mother and wept at the back of the courtroom following the sentencing.