A 33-YEAR-OLD Kerry man has been jailed for life for the double murder of a father and son in their home three years ago.
Thomas Barrett of Causeway, Co Kerry, pleaded guilty to murdering 60-year-old farmer Michael Hanrahan and his 27-year-old son, Denis Hanrahan, a plasterer. Det Insp Daniel Keane told the Central Criminal Court that Barrett shot the men several times in their farmhouse just outside Moyvane in Co Kerry on March 26th, 2008.
He said Barrett attended Pallaskenry Agricultural College with Denis Hanrahan in the late 1990s. During the following five or six years, he became a frequent caller to the Hanrahan home, about 32km (20 miles) from his own home.
Although Barrett was sometimes considered withdrawn and uncommunicative, he often stayed over and had meals with the Hanrahans, a well-respected, hard-working family. However, he stopped visiting about a year before he committed the murders.
“He [Barrett] perceived some slight,” Det Insp Keane said. “Mr Hanrahan snr phoned Mr Barrett snr and said he thought Mr Barrett seemed a bit down,” he continued. “It seemed to fester.”
Shortly after 11pm on March 26th, 2008, Barrett took his pump-action shotgun from its safe and put on an army camouflage vest, which contained six cartridges. He got into his car, where he had an army rucksack containing another 50 cartridges, a hunting knife and a crossbow.
He then drove to the cul-de-sac where the Hanrahans lived, where he aroused the suspicions of a neighbour and turned around. The neighbour followed him for some distance.
Barrett later returned to the Hanrahan bungalow and let himself in. The key was in the back door. He found Denis Hanrahan in bed and shot him in the leg. This woke Michael Hanrahan, who went to his son’s bedroom. In the meantime, Barrett went to the living room to reload his gun. He returned to the bedroom and shot both men dead.
Barrett fired eight shots; four wounded the father and three wounded the son, killing them. The other shot went through the door and hit the bed.
“The pump-action shotgun had to be reloaded three times,” said Det Insp Keane. “It could hold only three cartridges.”
Barrett then went to the bedroom of Denis Hanrahan’s sister. He turned on the light but there was no one there and he drove home.
Before he left his car, he injected himself with an anti-anxiety drugs used to treat pigs. He went into the house and called out for his mother, who came downstairs and found him getting sick. He was taken to hospital and was transferred voluntarily from the AE unit to the psychiatric ward.
At 7.30am, a workmate of Denis Hanrahan’s went to the farmhouse when the plasterer failed to turn up to meet him for a lift. He heard his colleague’s mobile phone ringing inside but did not go in.
A cousin and neighbour was passing by. He went inside and discovered the bodies.
Three days later, Barrett confirmed to his psychiatrist that he was involved in the murders. He was arrested and admitted to the killings. However, he was unable to give any good reason for wanting to kill Denis Hanrahan, his first target.
The Central Mental Hospital examined Barrett and found no mental disorder, but found traits of pervasive resentment and a sensitivity to slights on his character, the court was told.