TWO CLARE men were yesterday jailed for “a cowardly and unprovoked attack” that ended the life a 26-year-old school teacher on St Stephen’s night in Ennis last year.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Carroll Moran imposed a five-year jail term on Harry Dinan (31), Waterpark Heights, Ennis, for the manslaughter of Brian Casey on December 26th last and a four-year term on his nephew, Kevin Dinan (24), Clarehill, Clarecastle.
Judge Carroll Moran said the Caseys and Mr Casey’s girlfriend, Cecilia Talty, were suffering an appalling loss “because his loss was so unnecessary”.
Judge Moran said the case “is a one punch case” and there was a lack of premeditation by the Dinans to kill Mr Casey, though they did intend to do him harm.
Judge Moran said Mr Casey sustained a severe blow from Harry Dinan and the violence used by both Dinans was gratuitous.
Judge Moran said: “Mr Casey had his hands in his pockets and was unable to defend himself.”
He said the multiple punches inflicted by Harry Dinan was a serious aggravating factor.
Judge Moran imposed a five-year term on Harry Dinan with the sentence to start on September 30th and imposed a four-year jail term on Kevin Dinan on the expiry of his current sentence for burglary in November 2011.
Both had pleaded guilty to Mr Casey’s manslaughter and counsel for the State, Deirdre Murphy SC, said Harry Dinan, who has 64 previous convictions, was on temporary release from prison at the time of the unlawful killing, while Kevin Dinan, who has 17 previous convictions, was on bail and awaiting sentence having pleaded guilty to a burglary charge. Ms Murphy said Mr Casey was looking on at a scuffle with his hands in his pockets and caught off guard when hit by Harry Dinan with “a haymaker” at about midnight on St Stephen’s night in O’Connell Square, Ennis.
The blow from Dinan broke Mr Casey’s jaw in two places and the Lissycasey man hit the ground with the back of his head and never regained consciousness.
Mr Casey fractured his skull on impact with the ground and Ms Murphy said that Kevin Dinan then proceeded to hit Mr Casey with four of five punches while he lay prostrate on the ground.
Det Sgt Michael Moloney said Mr Casey was turning around as Harry Dinan punched him after a witness said someone had mistakenly pointed him out to Dinan.
Det Sgt Moloney said that Mr Casey’s only action during the scuffle was to pick one of his friends off the ground.
