A former soldier has been handed a life sentence for the murder of a mid Kerry pensioner.
Last week, Thomas Carroll, with an address at Brookway, Clonmel, Co Tipperary was unanimously convicted of murdering Paddy O’Mahony near Castlemaine in February 2024.
The 67-year-old retired soldier accepted that he fired the gun, but denied the charge of murder.
A postmortem examination determined that Mr O’Mahony died as a result of haemorrhage and shock - from the bullet of the single shot from a beretta pistol passing through him.
After over three and a half hours of deliberations over two days, the jury of eight men and four women found him guilty.
This morning at the Central Criminal Court in Limerick, Mr Carroll was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Patrick McGrath.
Thomas Carroll showed no emotion throughout today’s hearing and gave no reaction when he was sentenced to life in prison.
At Limerick Central Criminal Court, the granddaughter of 84-year-old Mr O’Mahony, Grace O'Mahony, read a victim impact statement on behalf of the family.
She told the court that on the 24th of February 2024 their family was shattered after her grandfathers life was taken from him in the most horrific way imaginable.
She said his home in Ballyreameen, was a place they laughed and felt safe; and described Paddy O’Mahony as a warm, loyal and protective man who cared fiercely for the people he loved.
She said the family feel anger, deep sadness and completely betrayed by what happened and they just want the chance to begin grieving properly.
Senior defence counsel Mark Nicholas, instructed by barrister Michael McCormack, and solicitors Pat Mann and John Cashell, stated Mr Carroll accepts responsibility for the act and expresses remorse.
He said Mr Carroll is a man of good character, with no previous convictions, who served the state with distinction in his over 30 years serving in the defence forces.
He also outlined Mr Carroll’s health issues.
In his ruling, Mr Justice Patrick McGrath noted this was a terribly sad case which resulted in the death of a man who was much loved by his family and community.
He described the actions as abhorrent and appalling, which lacked human decency; and used Mr Carroll’s own words from evidence, stating it “was cold blooded and vicious”.
Mr Justice McGrath said Thomas Carroll was guilty of murdering a man who was apparently his dear and long-term friend - whom he had left lying on his back for 12 hours on a cold winter night after shooting him.
He said Mr Carroll invented a “pack of lies” to exploit Mr O’Mahony’s family and their good nature.
The judge sentenced Thomas Carroll to life in prison, backdating it to last Thursday, when he went into custody.
