Burglar who stabbed father in front of his children as they got ready for school has sentence reduced.

40 comments
  1. Jesus his act reads like a horror film… What the fuck is wrong with the judicial system in this country?!?!

    In some states in the US he’d have been executed!!!

  2. Seems like a weird case when you read the article. He pleaded not guilty, the guy’s former partner testified to say what happened. He changed to guilty. He wanted to change back to not guilty but the judge didn’t allow it.

    The guy who was stabbed wrote an affidavit to say it wasn’t this guy who stabbed him, but that wasn’t included or wasn’t available at the trial. That seemed unclear.

    > O’Loughlin, Mr McCarthy said, had been abusing benzodiazepines during the months leading up to his trial and had taken around 20 tablets on the day he changed his plea.

    > His also said his client had suffered a “difficult” childhood, which had been a contributory factor regarding O’Loughlin’s previous offending behaviour.

    There could be a copypasta for those defences. I hate when drugs/drink are used as an excuse for these sort of crimes. ‘Sure you know yourself, you do 10 pints, a litre of vodka, few pills and you lose the head. Happens to me all the time. Nothing I could have done to prevent anything happening though.’

  3. >Mr McCarthy also told the three-judge court that the sentence imposed on his client had been “excessive and oppressive” and the judge had failed to take into account his client’s personal circumstances.

    Fuck off, 10 years is more than adequate for stabbing someone in their own home.

  4. 200 years ago he would have been sentenced to “transportation” to Australia. Maybe we should re-introduce that penalty, at least it would get rid of people like this.

  5. So the guy who was stabbed, swore an affidavit that he hadn’t been… <I need more coffee>. Those poor kids.

  6. The O’Loughlin’s are well known nutcases in Galway. I’m nearly sure 2 brothers were locked up in 2011/2012 for either running a gang or being members of it. It may have been reduced by 18months but you can guarantee he’ll be back in.

    One part makes me laugh is “Patrick McCarthy BL, for O’Loughlin, told the Court of Appeal that Mr King later swore in an affidavit that he hadn’t been attacked by his client. Mr McCarthy added that there was nothing to suggest the affidavit, which he said was made without O’Loughlin’s knowledge, had been sworn “under any threats, coercion or duress”.” Yet the victims blood was on Eddies clothing and The family are known for being scumbags.

  7. Why did the court not order an investigation into what clearly seems to be coercion and witness intimidation?

    Useless judges here.

  8. It’s the part of the justice system in this country that boils my piss. The victims are continuously ignored or forgotten in favour of criminals “hard life” and “I was drunk/high while I did it so I didn’t mean it” defense.

    The same excuses rolled out on a daily basis for people on dozens or hundreds of previous convictions. Which inevitably work in getting reduced scentences.

    Something has to change, Guards are getting it from both ends, the amount of work they have to put in to get a scumbag in front of a judge, only then to see them smiling as they’re essentially let off over the standard excuses. If anyone has a job that constantly fails to reward hard work, it’s not long before you just don’t give a shit about said job. (Cops have alot more issues and are by no means angels, but this is a major one that needs sorting)

    To say nothing of the effects on the rest of society, you can be living your life, getting to work and keeping your head above water only to be randomly assaulted, robbed or worse by someone not even old enough to drink legally with a phone book of a file ‘well known to the gardai”.

    It’s fucking depressing.

  9. The law is only a game to enrich solicitors, barristers and create employment in the legal community. A disgusting charade of catch and release,legal aid ,poor box fines , time off for good behaviour or maybe some time in a prison/hotel. Time to revert to punishing criminals including the legal ones , instead of wasting time and money on futile reform.

  10. reduced sentencing, lack of rehabilitation, and just being negalgent to scrotes is the reason why people are unsafe anywhere. nobody can go for a run or even be safe in their homes. I’m sick of this country’s judges. they never know what its like to live like the rest of us

  11. It’s important to note that…

    Ms Justice Kennedy said that although the three-judge court could find no error in Judge McCabe’s approach to sentencing, ***she said suspending a portion of the term would aid the appellant’s rehabilitation and would be granted only after the appellant entered into a bond***

  12. Very strange that the victim gave a sworn affidavit to say it wasn’t the defendant who stabbed him considering the forensic evidence and all

  13. Like can we not have a system where you can’t get a sentence reduced? I have no problem people appealing a sentence and saying I didn’t do it I wasn’t even their. But having it clear that you did it and admitting you did it but getting a reduced sentence?

    The judge has sentenced you and that’s that.

  14. The Irish judicial system is a complete farce. It is not fit for purpose, it’s as simple as that. At this point it wouldn’t shock me if vigilante justice reared its head again.

  15. Cracking down on drug offenders and softening on violent offenders.

    Great policy we’ve got for ourselves…

  16. Well that’s nice – he’ll be released very soon, right? He’s been in custody since he was arrested in June 2016, he got 10 and a half years, so with one third remission he would have been in until June 2023, but now the last 18 months have been suspended which brings us to, uh, January 2022. Lovely.

  17. Apparently previous convictions somehow should make his sentence lighter… Right.
    10 years is needed for someone who obviously can not be rehabilitated / broke in / seriously injured / caused severe mental trauma to the family.

    In some countries, he would be shot dead and it would be right thing to do.

  18. A 46 year old man in Waterford with no previous convictions was caught with approx 30 cannabis plants and was sentenced to 10 years with 2 suspended yesterday…..the mind boggles.

  19. So the judge should have taken into account that the defendant chose to abuse benzodiazepines and burgled and repeatedly stabbed and innocent man in his home…. 5 people in that house traumatised. This is pathetic from court of appeal

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