A MAN has been found guilty of the manslaughter of another man who died nine days after being struck with a hurley during a late-night incident in a city park.
Martin O’Brien (21), The Quay, Waterford, was convicted yesterday at Waterford Circuit Court of the unlawful killing of Damien Organ (25) at the People’s Park in Waterford.
Yesterday was the first anniversary of Mr Organ’s death on April 1st, 2010. He spent nine days in a coma in hospital after suffering a bleed to the brain caused by a blow from a hurley to the side of the neck.
O’Brien was also found guilty by a jury of assaulting Damien Organ and assaulting his brother Liam Organ (28), causing them harm.
Kieron Deegan (20), of the same address as O’Brien, was found not guilty of manslaughter and not guilty of assaulting Liam Organ but guilty of assaulting Damien Organ.
Sentencing in the case was adjourned by Judge Rory McCabe until May 10th to allow for the preparation of probation reports.
He remanded O’Brien in custody until then and remanded Deegan on continuing bail.
During the six-day trial, evidence was heard that an argument started between Liam Organ and his ex-girlfriend Kate Clancy over €400 he had borrowed from her.
O’Brien, a friend of Ms Clancy’s, got involved and the three were sending angry texts on the evening and night of March 21st last year.
Eventually, Mr Organ and O’Brien met at the People’s Park some time after 11.30pm. Deegan, Ms Clancy and two other women accompanied O’Brien; there were two hurleys and a hockey stick in the group’s possession.
At the park, Mr Organ and Ms Clancy started arguing. O’Brien told gardaí in interviews the day after the incident he thought Mr Organ was going to hit Ms Clancy. He then hit Mr Organ with a hurley and heard Damien Organ shouting his name.
When he turned, Damien Organ was running towards him with an implement in his hand, O’Brien said, and he hit him on the side of the neck with the hurley and hit him again as he hit the ground.
Deegan also hit Damien Organ on the lower back after he fell. He was brought to Waterford Regional Hospital but, according to State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy, he would have been “almost dead” within an hour.