A 43-year-old man with a history of violent offending, who punched, kicked and stamped a homeless man to death, has argued that his sentencing judge was not entitled to send him to prison for life to protect society from him. Sentencing Judge Paul McDermott described the assault as “shocking, unrelenting and savage” before imposing a term of life imprisonment. However, he said McDermott had pushed it into the most serious category after considering O’Sullivan’s previous convictions, including one for an assault in which the victim suffered serious head injuries. Donal O’Sullivan, counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the sentencing judge had not imposed the life term solely to protect the public. Judge John Edwards, sitting with Judge Isobel Kennedy and Judge Tara Burns, reserved judgment.

Source: The Irish Times March 27, 2026 19:52 UTC