Courts / Wicklow / Report
Rapist whose murder bid was foiled by damp shotgun cartridges is jailed for 12 years
Summary
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 16 March 2018, Eoghan O'Connell, a 29‑year‑old former cancer survivor from Dargle Heights, Bray, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for attempting to murder a man in his driveway on 8 April 2016. O'Connell fired a shotgun twice at the victim, a father of three in his late 30s, as the man left his home to go to work. Both shots misfired because the cartridges were damp, and the victim survived. The court noted that O'Connell had 65 prior convictions, including rape and assault, and that the victim had known him since childhood. The judge described the evidence as extremely strong, citing DNA and spent cartridges, and acknowledged the victim's family had moved away and suffered trauma. O'Connell's guilty plea led the judge to impose a 12‑year term, back‑dated to 2 May 2016.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Rapist whose murder bid was foiled by damp shotgun cartridges is jailed for 12 years. Charges or matters: attempting to murder the man in his driveway at Old Court Park, Bray on 8th April 2016. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- 8th April 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2nd May 2016 Other
- 2018-03-16 Publication
Why: A convicted rapist has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempting to murder a Wicklow man in front of his wife and children, failing only because his shotgun cartridges were damp. CNI source report
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: attempting to murder the man in his driveway at Old Court Park, Bray on 8th April 2016 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: A convicted rapist has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempting to murder a Wicklow man in front of his wife and children, failing only because his shotgun cartridges were damp. However, after taking his guilty plea into account, he imposed a sentence of 12 years, backdating it to 2nd May 2016. "He will have a long prison sentence," he said.
Places mentioned
Topics
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