A self-employed security man has been jailed for six years by Judge Cyril Kelly for the manslaughter of a man in Dublin city centre last year.
Christopher Connor, owner of Hawk Eye Security, and a martial arts enthusiast, hit Niall St Leger three times and ran off with friends to a taxi when his victim fell to the ground and hit his head.
Gardai stopped the taxi at traffic lights and arrested Connor for assault. Mr St Leger died two days later in hospital.
Connor (25), with Dublin addresses at Addiston Road, Fairview, and Drumcliffe Road, Cabra, and formerly of Killough, Co Down, pleaded guilty to unlawfully killing Mr St Leger (29), on March 19th, 1997.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that about 20 minutes before this incident, Connor had intervened in a row involving visiting Romanians and disarmed a man who had knifed another man and held him until gardai arrived.
Det Garda Paul Fleming told prosecuting counsel, Mr George Birmingham BL, the fatal assault on Mr St Leger happened on Upper O'Connell Street. The victim was with his brother when approached near a fast-food shop by Connor, who made some comment.
The victim backed away, not wanting any form of conversation with Connor, but the defendant called him back and hit him three times. Mr St Leger was taken in a semi-conscious condition to hospital and died two days later.
Det Fleming said Connor admitted the assault but offered an excuse which could not be supported by any one of about 50 witnesses interviewed. He had been drinking but wasn't drunk.
Connor told gardai he was the owner of Hawk Eye Security and had been living in Dublin since 1983. He claimed the dead man shouted insults at him.
Connor added that before the incident, Mr St Leger stood in the middle of O'Connell Bridge and gave him a dirty look as well as continuing the insults. He claimed the victim was "still abusing me" while he fell to the ground. Det Fleming agreed with defence counsel, Mr Erwan Mill Arden SC (with Mr Patrick Marrinan BL), that Connor broke down crying in the Garda station where he had gone voluntarily after hearing about his victim's death. He was shocked to hear about it and expressed his regret.
Mr Mill Arden said Connor fully accepted his guilt in Mr St Leger's death but had not pre-planned nor premeditated his action. It was a reckless, spur of the moment action arising out of a misconception.
Mr Mill Arden noted his client had risked his own life and saved another person's life only 20 minutes before his fatal action and suggested that indicated he was a person with a lot of good in him. He had also demonstrated his repentance for his wrongdoing.
Judge Kelly expressed his sympathy to the dead man's family whom he noted were still traumatised by the death. The defendant was a big, strong man trained in the expertise of killing. It was not the first time security men had featured in cases before the court.
Connor had consumed three pints of Carlsberg, 10 bottles of Budweiser and a pint of shandy by his own admission. While not drunk according to the Garda evidence, that amount of drink would be sufficient to limit his self-control.