Tanaiste assists family in fight for inquest in England after Limerick man stabbed to death

TANAISTE Micheal Martin has assisted a Limerick family in their quest for an inquest into the death of their beloved son and brother who was stabbed to death in Manchester.

Father-of-two Tom Murphy, aged 42, from Ballyagran, died after he was stabbed 34 times with a kitchen knife by Stephen Owusu, 23, in a row about a broken plate in a shared rented house in September 2022.

In the following days, weeks and months after Tom’s death, the family tried to find out as much as they could about what happened.

“We started asking questions. The Greater Manchester Police said they couldn’t really tell us because if it got into the media it would jeopardise the case.

“We asked why did the man kill him and they said they believed it was over a broken plate. We were told all the questions we have will be answered at the inquest when the trial was over,” said Tom's brother Darragh.

At the court case in October 2023, a judge imposed a hospital order on Owusu. He was sent to a secure hospital indefinitely for treatment for his mental health disorder instead of going to jail. 

Darragh said the family wasn't consulted before the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the English equivalent of the DPP, decided to drop a murder charge and accept a plea to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility - paranoid schizophrenia.

A week later the Murphy family learned there will be no inquest held into Tom’s horrific death in Manchester.

Darragh hired a solicitor to make a case for the decision not to hold an inquest to be reviewed. He was informed in recent weeks it was refused. The decision was highlighted in the Limerick Leader and in the Manchester Evening News.

Minister of State Niall Collins contacted Tanaiste Micheal Martin, who is Minister for Foreign Affairs, and asked him to engage with the UK Government through the Irish Ambassador and Consular Service in England. 

Mr Martin extended his sincere condolences and sympathies to the entire Murphy family, in correspondence seen by the Leader, “on the loss of their beloved son and brother under such terrible circumstances”.

“I appreciate that the circumstances of this case are extremely difficult for the Murphy family and I want to assure you that my department stands ready to provide all possible consular assistance to them,” said Mr Martin, who provided the name of a consular assistance manager in the Department of Foreign Affairs for the Murphy family to discuss the case in more detail. 

“He will be able to provide advice and guidance to the Murphy family, and, where necessary, will be able to follow up directly with officials in the Embassy of Ireland, Great Britain. Once again, I want to extend my deepest sympathies to the Murphy family and all those who knew Thomas,” said Mr Martin.

The Murphy family wish to thank Mr Martin and Mr Collins for their intervention and assistance. They confirmed that they have made contact with the department and are awaiting developments. “We will continue to fight for an inquest so we can get a clear understanding about his vicious killing. Tom deserves that,” said the Murphy family in a statement.

READ MORE: No inquest into death of Limerick dad stabbed in UK

Deputy Collins said he will keep in contact with the Murphy family. 

“We will be monitoring the situation and keep up with the campaign. I hope that an inquest will be held and it will help give the Murphy family some closure after this heinous crime,” said Mr Collins.

The Murphy family have a number of questions regarding Owusu’s previous treatment for mental health difficulties, interactions with police, and if Tom’s death could have been prevented.

Darragh asks how Owusu, who believed voices in his head were “talking to each other”, was allowed free in the community and rent a room in a four-bed shared house in Manchester. 

“Who close to him wrote a recommendation letter for the landlord so he could rent a room?” asks Darragh. That is when he met Tom. Two months later, Owusu would kill him because he thought Tom had broken his plate.

Another question Darragh asks is if Owusu's mother was a nurse and brought him to  see mental health services then “how did he not get help in that situation?”

“Are authorities to blame? We are going to need an inquest to tell us what really happened and how,” he said.

Darragh says the family do not accept the manslaughter verdict and would like Owusu to serve his time in a normal prison.

“It would be the only thing that would give us comfort to think that the youngster would be amongst his own,” said Darragh.