A 21-year-old man has been jailed for life and a 19-year-old man for seven years for killing a father-of-six on his 40th birthday in a case of mistaken identity.
Jonathan Fitzgerald (21) of South Claughan Road, Garryowen, Limerick, received his life sentence for murdering Noel Crawford on December 18th 2006. He shot and killed Mr Crawford as the victim stood outside his parents’ home in O’Malley Park, Southill, in the city.
Fitzgerald had pleaded not guilty to the murder but a jury found him guilty on Monday, following a four-week trial at the Central Criminal Court.
Michael O’Callaghan (19) of Pineview Gardens, Moyross, Limerick, had also been charged with Mr Crawford’s murder. However he pleaded guilty to manslaughter before he was due to go on trial in November and his plea was accepted as he was 15 at the time of the killing.
Det Sgt Denis Treacy told the court O’Callaghan admitted his involvement a month after the shooting.
O’Callaghan said he was not actually with Fitzgerald when Fitzgerald carried out the murder. O’Callaghan was originally from O’Malley Park and had shown him the way to the house but had not gone all the way with him.
“He said he was sorry about what happened to Noel Crawford, that it wasn’t meant for him,” testified Det Sgt Treacy. “He said Jonathan Fitzgerald had meant to shoot Paul Crawford (the victim’s brother).”
Det Sgt Treacy agreed that Noel Crawford and his mother were "thoroughly decent people".
The detective confirmed to Mr Justice Barry White that this was a gangland killing.
“This incident on the night arose directly from the abduction,” he explained, referring to the kidnap of Fitzgerald’s sister hours earlier. The trial heard that Fitzgerald had believed Paul Crawford was behind that crime.
Úna Ni Raifeartaigh SC, prosecuting, read a victim impact statement prepared by the victim’s mother, Mary Crawford, on behalf of his family.
She described herself as a ‘broken-hearted mother’. She said they had been planning her son's 40th birthday when he was "callously" shot. “It was to be a day of great joy,” she said. “But it was the day he died.” She said the pain that followed was indescribable.
After the verdict, Mrs Crawford said that it had been a hard four years but that the family was happy with the outcome. She said that she would pray for those who had lost children but had not yet got justice.