'Institutionalised' prisoner gets life sentence for 'vicious' murder of fellow inmate

An "institutionalised" prisoner who was convicted of murdering a fellow inmate by luring him to a cell, knocking him to the ground and stamping on his head in a "vicious and unprovoked" assault, has been given a life sentence.

Passing sentence on repeat offender David Dunne (40) today, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring noted that “no explanation for the decision to kill Robert O’Connor has ever been proffered and that the “violence was totally unwarranted”.

At his trial in the Central Criminal Court last month, David Dunne, with a last address in Summerhill, Dublin 1, pleaded not (NOT) guilty to the murder of Mr O’Connor (34) on the 29th of July 2022 at Mountjoy Prison, North Circular Road, Dublin 7. A jury, however, took less than three hours to unanimously convict him.

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The prosecution case was that CCTV footage played in evidence during the trial showed Dunne luring the victim into his cell. The prison officer on duty at the time said he heard a yell followed by a cry of “No, no” which was followed by silence. He gave evidence that he saw Dunne stamp on the victim's head more than once.

Prison officers called an ambulance which brought Mr O'Connor to the Mater Hospital, where he was put on life support. He didn't regain consciousness and was pronounced dead three days later.

The court heard that David Dunne has amassed 123 convictions since 1998. At the time of the killing, he was serving a four and a half year sentence for robbery and other offences and was due to be released just a few days before the attack on Mr O'Connor.

Miska Hanahoe BL, for the defendant, told the court that Dunne was placed in State care when was a very young child, had been in and out of care his whole life and was now institutionalised. She added that Dunne “wants to make clear that he accepts he is responsible for Robert’s death but that he did not intend to kill him."

Ms Hanahoe asked if Dunne could serve his sentence in Dublin as his mother was unwell and unable to travel to visit him.

Passing sentence, Ms Justice Ring noted that Dunne had had a long and difficult life. She imposed the mandatory life sentence for the murder of Mr O’Connor, adding that the victim's family will "serve their own life sentence" due to Dunne's crime.

"When violence takes a child from a parent, no explanation is enough. Robert O’Connor was in prison to pay his debt to society. David Dunne took his right to life away," Ms Justice Ring said.

Ms Justice Ring noted that the family's selfless decision to donate Mr O'Connor's organs speaks about the kind of person he was, noting that it provided some comfort to his family to know that part of him lives on though others.

The judge also noted that Dunne’s mother had previously said that if help was not given to her son, there would be dire consequences, but now it was Mr O'Connor and his family who have paid the price. She said Mr O'Connor’s family were totally innocent in this "sad, sad, sorry event".

Ms Justice Ring said she would impose the life sentence from the date Dunne went into custody on this matter on September 1, 2023 and wished the victim's family well as they go forward.