Dad of man stabbed to death in 'drunk rage' brands killer a coward and tells him: 'Rot in hell'

A 52-year-old man who stabbed his daughter’s neighbour to death in a "drunken rage", in what a judge described as a “cowardly” attack on a “defenceless and unarmed” man, has been sentenced to life in prison.

Patrick Murphy, of no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Joseph Brosnan (53), at Abbey Court, Tralee, on May 22nd, 2022. The jury unanimously convicted Murphy of murder after rejecting the defence case that he was provoked.

Passing the mandatory term of life imprisonment today, Mr Justice Paul Burns said the deceased was a “decent man” who had been “viciously” stabbed by Murphy.

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Mr Brosnan’s family delivered emotional victim impact statements in which they described him as a much-loved son, father and grandad.

Shaun Brosnan described his son’s killer as a “coward”, and said he wished Murphy would spend “every second of his life in jail” adding: “I hope to God he will rot in hell”.

Mr Brosnan’s daughter, Rachel Dunne, said her son “had a special bond like no other” with his grandfather but is now “still so traumatised from this tragedy” that he can’t bring himself to say the word “grandad”.

A Central Criminal Court jury heard Mr Brosnan had previously worked at a direct provision centre where he met and befriended a Polish man named Kamil Lisowski.

On May 22, 2022 Mr Lisowski finished work at around 7.45am and called to Mr Brosnan’s home at Abbey Court. The pair shared a few drinks and watched television before Murphy, who had been visiting his daughter’s apartment across from Mr Brosnan’s, joined them at around 3pm.

Further drinking took place in the house which resulted in some insult passing between Mr Lisowski and Murphy.

Mr Lisowski slapped Murphy in the face but things calmed down again and people shook hands. However, the matter “well up again” and Murphy was asked to leave.

He came back at around a quarter to seven and apologised but was subsequently “pushed out vigorously” from the apartment and fell to the ground outside.

Murphy returned a short time later armed with a large kitchen knife, which he used to stab the victim three times after Mr Brosnan had opened the door and again told him to go.

A second stab wound to Mr Brosnan’s back proved fatal as it penetrated the pericardial sac around the deceased’s heart which caused massive bleeding and resulted in death occurring “fairly rapidly”. Ambulance and gardaí attended the scene but Mr Brosnan died in his apartment lying on his sofa.

Mr Brosnan was aware that he was seriously injured and told Mr Lisowski: ‘I’m dying’”. Mr Lisowski gave evidence to the trial, telling the jury that Murphy had come to the door "to revenge" and had stabbed Mr Brosnan “like rapid fire.” “My best friend was dying in my hands," the eyewitness told the jury.

When he was arrested and interviewed, Murphy suggested that the victim had possibly suffered a seizure before eventually admitting that he had brought a knife to the scene and that he had stabbed Mr Brosnan.

He told gardai that he started drinking and taking tablets before numerous scuffles broke out on the day. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC argued that Murphy had “acted in boiling blood, in a rage or out of control” after he “had the living daylights kicked out of him on the ground”.

Mr Grehan suggested that it was Mr Lisowski and possibly Mr Brosnan who hit the defendant on the ground, driving him into a rage, despite denials of this by Mr Lisowski. Counsel argued that the alleged beating was "an act of provocation".

The prosecution case was that there was no reason for Murphy to bring a knife to the apartment and that he had “a clear intention to kill or cause serious injury”. “Mr Brosnan was entitled to refuse entry and if that involved pushing him [Murphy] out so be it,” Patrick Gageby SC said.

The jury deliberated for two hours and two minutes before returning their unanimous verdict against Murphy. Detective Sergeant Mark O’Sullivan, today told Mr Gageby that Murphy has 15 previous convictions, the majority of which are for road traffic matters as well as some for public order and drugs offences.

Elizabeth Murphy BL, representing Murphy, said her client wished to sincerely express his remorse to Mr Brosnan’s family. Murphy had taken another man’s life and “understands the ramifications of that,” she said.

Imposing the mandatory term of life in prison, Mr Justice Burns said Murphy had “acted in a drunken rage and carried out a vicious and cowardly knife attack on a defenceless and unarmed Mr Brosnan”.

He said after he was arrested, the defendant had “concocted a story” before admitting he was responsible. The judge thanked Mr Brosnan’s family for their eloquent victim impact statements which, he said, made clear “the great sense of loss” they have experienced and the “profound impact” his loss has had upon them.

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