Brothers jailed over gun attack at home in Limerick town while twin babies slept

A MAN who recklessly discharged ‘at least four’ shots at a house where infant twins were sleeping, has been jailed for 12 years.

Larry O’Connor, aged 33, who has an address at The Lodges, Ballykisteen, County Tipperary was convicted, earlier this year, of several charges arising from an incident at Deelside, The Quay, Askeaton in the early hours of July 13, 2019.

During a sentencing hearing this Tuesday, Judge Patrick Meghen was told Mr O’Connor maintains he was not involved and should not have been found guilty.

“He wishes to assert his innocence, the jury got it wrong,” said Anthony Sammon SC who added it is his client’s position that he “wasn’t there” and that he didn’t fire any shots.

Earlier, Lily Buckley BL, instructed by State Solicitor Aidan Judge, said Mr O’Connor was convicted by a jury, on March 1, of six charges, including reckless discharge of a firearm.

His brother – Daniel O’Connor, aged 42, who has an address at Hassett's Villas, Thomondgate, Limerick pleaded guilty to a burglary charge – on the second day of the trial.

Detective Sergeant Michael Reidy said Daniel O’Connor was the driver of a high-powered getaway car and that the offence was a case of “joint enterprise and common design.”

Five shots discharged at house in Limerick village as infant twins were sleeping

He said a cousin of the defendants lives at the house in Askeaton with his partner and twins – who were 10 months old at the time.

Det Sgt Reidy told the court there are hostilities in the background and that there had been a number of incidents involving family members in the months before the shooting.

During the lengthy sentencing hearing, Judge Meghen was told the alarm was raised shortly after 3.20am when a number of 999 calls were made to the emergency services.

The recordings of three separate calls, including two made by the occupants of the house, were played to the court and the judge commented that one "could only imagine the terror" as events unfolded. 

CCTV footage played in court showed a black Seat Leon car passing the house at Deelside on several occasions around the time of the shooting. Giving commentary on the CCTV, Garda Cathal Benson said the lights of the car were turned off and that stopped outside the house four times over a 25 minutes period.

Footage from a traffic camera in the town shows what appears to be a 'pipe-like' object being pointed out the front passenger window of the car, which was located in the Midlands a number of weeks after the shooting.

Ms Buckley said it is the State’s case that Larry O’Connor was the gunman and that he discharged a number of shots from a pump-action shotgun at the front of the house - damaging the fascia and soffit. 

Det Sgt Reidy said he (Larry O'Connor) got out of the car and fired "at least" two more shots inside the house – damaging a cooker, a back window and the ceiling above the stairwell.

“It was clearly a pre-meditated attack,” commented Judge Meghen who added that the presence of two young babies in the house at the time was an aggravating factor.

The judge said he agreed with the DPP's assessment that the offence was within the "higher range" of the scale and he said, in the case, of Larry O'Connor there was no mitigation before the court to allow him reduce his sentence.

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In the case of Daniel O'Connor, the judge accepted he had played a lesser role than his brother and he said his apology and expression of remorse were helpful as was his guilty plea. 

Larry O’Connor, who has 79 previous convictions, was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment while Daniel O’Connor, who has 38 previous convictions, was sentenced to seven years’ with the final year suspended.

The judge directed that both men get credit for any time served on remand.