A FATHER-OF-ONE was out on bail for several crimes when he attacked two Polish mechanics with the man who murdered them.
Seán Keogh (21), of Vincent Street West, Inchicore, was sentenced to four years in prison yesterday for kicking Pawel Kalite in the head, seconds after David Curran had stabbed him through the skull with a screwdriver.
Curran, of Lissadel Green in Drimnagh, then stabbed Mr Kalite’s flatmate, Marius Swajkos, in the same way. The 19-year-old is serving life for their murder.
Earlier this month, a jury acquitted Keogh of murdering both men on February 23rd, 2008 outside their home on Benbulben Road. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Kalite, a charge put to him just before the jury began its deliberations after a three-week trial.
Det Garda William Ryan told the Central Criminal Court Keogh had 75 previous convictions.
He said that on May 26th last year he was sentenced to five years in prison for two counts of endangerment. He also received a five-year sentence for criminal damage, three years for the unauthorised taking of a vehicle and six months for driving without insurance, with his driving without a licence taken into consideration.
He was banned from driving for seven years for dangerous driving on the same occasion. All sentences were concurrent, with the last two years suspended.
Det Garda Ryan explained that Keogh had got bail on these charges on August 30th, 2007, so was out on bail when he kicked a dying Pawel Kalite in the head.
Mr Justice Liam McKechnie noted that Keogh was not part of the “inconsequential scuffle” outside a chip shop before the attack on the Polish men. “It was none of his business to get involved in the aftermath at all,” he said.
David Curran was summoned to the chip shop after this scuffle, and Keogh was with him.
“A decision was made, which I’m convinced was to the effect in Seán Keogh’s mind to get the men involved,” said the judge. He said that he and others accompanied a screaming and roaring David Curran to the Polish men’s house, and that Keogh knew Curran had a screwdriver.
“He saw David Curran, with frightening speed and deadly accuracy, strike Pawel Kalite at least once,” he said. “Seán Keogh then delivered a vicious kick to Pawel Kalite.” He noted that Keogh delivered the kick to the most vulnerable part of his body, the head.
“He was a dying man. He was utterly exposed and defenceless, without any protection. It wasn’t enough that David Curran had stabbed Pawel Kalite to satisfy Seán Keogh’s lust for harm. He had to feed his own lust and did so. He showed utter contempt for a fellow human,” he continued.
“It showed a deep and sickening sense of personality to which society should not be exposed. On any level it was pure thuggery. If he’s capable of doing this sort of thing, what else is he capable of doing?” he asked.
The judge said the law and courts had to deal in an aggressive way with this, and provide a level of protection. Condemnation was not enough, he said. Action was necessary, and a sentence was the only available action.
Having been told that five years was the maximum sentence, the judge said a sentence of 4½ years was appropriate.
He noted factors put forward by the defence as mitigation, including evidence from Keogh’s partner and mother of his child, Sarah Adams, who told the court she and their daughter, now aged three, visit him in jail each week.
“She said he’s matured in prison,” noted the judge. “I only hope that she’s right.” He noted that their daughter was about nine months old when her father committed the assault.“I wonder what regard he had for then?” he asked. “I wonder why he wasn’t at home then looking after his daughter of nine months. I suspect she is wondering the same.”
He took Keogh’s fatherhood into consideration, along with his remorse and willingness to tackle his alcohol problems, and suspended the final six months of the sentence. The four-year jail term will begin on June 9th, when his endangerment sentence is due to expire. Keogh’s family hugged him as he was led back to jail.
The victims’ former employer, Alan Kennedy, said afterwards that their families accepted there had been a proper trial and jury, and were happy with the verdict. They now had closure, he said.
Keogh’s solicitor, Cahir O’Higgins, said Keogh apologised, adding the Keogh family’s thoughts were with the victims’ families.