A KILLARNEY MAN has been given a conviction and handed down a four-month sentence for an attack on a Direct Provision centre in Killarney in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

The prison sentence has been suspended for one year.

Eamon Murphy, aged 25 of Curragh, Aghadoe, Killarney, along with a co-accused, had previously pleaded guilty to criminal damage as well as trespass at the Harmony Inn a direct provision centre on the Muckross Road Killarney, on New Year’s Day.

He had two previous convictions for public order offences and had had committed a third offence while on bail for the attack on the Harmony Inn, Killarney District Court heard on Tuesday.

Solicitor Padraig O’Connell said he could not dispute his client had previous convictions. 

“Alcohol consumption has been the anchor to all these convictions,” O’Connell said.

Previous sittings heard how after consuming alcohol celebrating New Year’s Eve they had begun scrolling social media when their attention was drawn to negative stories and videos of asylum seekers. They came up with a plan to scare those in the Harmony Inn.

The man and his co-accused, Evan Murphy, had cycled with a canister of petrol to the Harmony hotel that was housing 70 male asylum seekers shortly before 6am.

As they tried to kick in the front door, a security guard inside was alerted. The can of petrol was left at the scene. They said they had no intention of setting fire to the centre.

The damage to the door was estimated at €1,500.

Eamon Murphy had now completed an alcohol awareness programme.

His family were very ashamed of his behaviour, O’Connelly said. Murphy was hard-working and was employed in the family haulage business.

He was genuinely remorseful and had done all that was asked of him by the Probation Service, his solicitor said, adding that it would not happen again.

He has paid €750 towards the criminal damage of a door and also contributed €2,000 to the Little Blue Heroes charity, O’Connell said. The probation officer had found him to be at the low end of the moderate risk scale of reoffending.

Judge David Waters said Eamon Murphy’s offence while on bail on 24 August – when he was aggressively shouting at security personnel and had to be restrained – was “the serious” factor.

The judge also said he suspected Eamon Murphy was “the primary mover” between him and his co-accused.  “This was an appalling act on the night – to consciously make a decision to attack a migrant centre with vulnerable people,” the judge said.

He convicted Eamon Murphy and sentenced him to four months on each charge , concurrently, suspending the four month sentence for a year on his signed bond.

Co-accused criticised by judge

Co-accused Evan Murphy, aged 22, of Rahanane, Kilcummin, Killarney, has no previous convictions.

He has been ordered to pay €2,000 to a immigrants’ rights organisation and has been remanded on bail on continuing good behaviour. He is to avoid a conviction.

During the trial, the court heard that the apprentice plumber, who will qualify next January, was considering emigrating to Canada at the time of the incident.

Judge Waters criticised his actions and said it had struck him as “most bizarre” that someone who attacked with petrol a building housing asylum seekers, who were looking for a better life for themselves, wanted to avoid a conviction so he himself could go to another country and prevail on their humanity to better his own life.

But the Judge, after perusing the reports at Killarney District Court today, said it was clear he was dealing with “two different individuals”.

The Probation Service had compiled a number of reports on both men and their suitability for restorative justice as well as likelihood of re-offending.

Evan Murphy had not come to the attention of gardaí since the incident. The Probation Service had found he had fully engaged with it and was at very low risk of re-offending.

“Unfortunately social media was an influence in this. It was a factor. Alcohol was a factor,” his solicitor Brendan Ahern said. Judge Waters said he accepted Evan Murphy’s engagement was genuine and that he had cooperated.

Ahern said his client had changed: “He has had to learn about the difficulty asylum seekers face having to reside in accommodation centres.”

Judge Waters said he had taken into account the reports by a member of the Probation Service and considered returning him without a conviction, rather than imposing a criminal record on the basis of one incident.

He has been remanded on continuing bail to 18 February and is to pay €2,000 to the Killarney Immigrant Support Centre and stay out of trouble. Ahern assured the court that the sum would be paid.

The 22-year-old has already paid €1,000 towards the criminal damage of the door of the Harmony Inn as well as €250, the court was told.