The “merciless, ferocious and sustained” murder of “timid and quiet gentleman” in the confines of his own home has left a family and neighbours traumatised, a Central Criminal Court judge has said.
When sentencing Patrick McDonagh (52) to life imprisonment for murdering his 73-year-old neighbour Peter McDonald with a machete, Mr Justice Michael MacGrath said the victim’s home “should have been a place of safety and security to him; it was anything but that”.
He described the circumstances of the murder as shocking and traumatic for the neighbours who witnessed it, the paramedics and gardaí who attended the scene, and for those who knew and loved Mr McDonald.
Mr Justice MacGrath extended his condolences to Mr McDonald’s family and said they had come to court with great dignity to show their support for the deceased.
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Philipp Rahn SC, for the prosecution, read out a statement written by Mr McDonald’s brother, Eoin McDonald, on behalf of the family.
He described growing up in Glasnevin and being sent to an orphanage where he and his older brother “spent a lot of time looking after each other”. He described his brother as a kind, reserved, proud and decent man who looked out for others but would not accept help for himself.
Peter McDonald lived a quiet life and looked after his cats at his home in Blanchardstown, where he had settled after working on building sites in the UK, the court heard.
McDonagh, of Whitechapel Road, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, apologised to the McDonald family through his counsel John Fitzgerald SC, who said the deceased was a kind and gentle man and McDonagh had never instructed him to challenge that in any way.
The defendant had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, arguing that his responsibility for the July 25th, 2020 attack on Whitechape Road was diminished due to a mental disorder.
State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan told the trial that Mr McDonald died from multiple stab, slash and chop wounds inflicted by a machete and possibly a knife.
Consultant psychiatrist Prof Patricia Casey, who was called by the defence, told the trial that McDonagh was suffering from schizophrenia and that his responsibility for the killing was substantially reduced by his mental disorder.
The Director of Public Prosecutions did not accept the plea and called Dr Mary Davoren, who said that if there was any abnormality in McDonagh’s mental state, it would most likely be accounted for by cannabis use.
She also said there was evidence of malingering in some tests carried out on McDonagh by a psychologist and that the mental symptoms he described were not typical signs of schizophrenia.
Following a two-week trial, a jury on Monday unanimously rejected McDonagh’s defence and found him guilty of murder.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Supt Bronagh O’Reilly detailed McDonagh’s previous convictions in Ireland and in the UK, including burglary, possession of drugs, handling stolen property, robberies and road traffic offences.
Before passing the mandatory life sentence, Mr Justice MacGrath said: “This murder of a clearly kind, timid and quiet gentleman was carried out in what can only be described as a merciless, ferocious and sustained manner.
“The circumstances of his murder are truly shocking, the events must have been traumatic for those who witnessed it and it must also have been extremely traumatic for those who attended the scene in its immediate aftermath.”
During the trial, a garda recalled visiting Mr McDonald’s home and speaking to him about McDonagh, who had been in his garden chasing his cats. The garda received a call within minutes of leaving telling her to return to Mr McDonald’s house after neighbours had raised the alarm. She returned to find Mr McDonald dead in his driveway just 14 minutes after she had left.
One witness told the trial that about two hours before the fatal attack, he saw McDonagh at the front door of Mr McDonald’s home trying to push past him while Mr McDonald tried to defend himself. The witness heard McDonagh shout and scream: “I’m going to kill you.”
He described seeing a scuffle but Mr McDonald managed to close the door and stayed in his own home.
Another neighbour heard loud screaming at 5.53am and then heard Mr McDonald shout: “Help me, help me.” When he looked outside he saw Mr McDonald lying on the path outside his home covered in blood with McDonagh standing over him holding a machete. He saw McDonagh walk slowly out of Mr McDonald’s garden and into his own house.
Forensic investigators found blood spattered across Mr McDonald’s bathroom, on a lampshade and throughout the hallway leading to where his body lay. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Meanwhile, armed gardaí became engaged in a standoff with McDonagh, who had locked himself inside his own home. Gardaí attempted to negotiate with McDonagh and there were concerns for his welfare.
Later, using a piece of hydraulic equipment, gardaí popped the lock on the front door and then saw McDonagh swinging a yellow-handled machete in their direction. A garda raised his shield and blocked the machete, which McDonagh then placed on a radiator near the door before retreating to his kitchen.
A Taser was eventually deployed and McDonagh fell to the ground and was restrained and arrested.
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