Courts / Louth / Report

"Guilty of f**king what": jury convicts man of murdering two car thieves

Date
2018-08-02

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Louth

County
Louth

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 2 August 2018, a jury convicted 35‑year‑old Jason O'Driscoll of murdering 31‑year‑old Anthony Burnett and 25‑year‑old Joseph Redmond, two car thieves whose bodies were found fused together in a burned‑out Volkswagen Golf. The jury, after more than seven hours of deliberation, returned a verdict by a ten‑to‑two majority. O'Driscoll, who had pleaded not guilty, reacted angrily, claiming no evidence and calling the verdict a "fucking crook." The judge thanked the jury and exempted them from further duty for 15 years. Mr Justice Michael White was scheduled to impose a mandatory life sentence on 2 October, after the prosecution requested time to read impact statements from the victims' families. The case was based largely on circumstantial evidence, including CCTV footage, mobile phone records, and expert testimony linking O'Driscoll to the crime scene and the vehicles involved.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "Guilty of f**king what": jury convicts man of murdering two car thieves. Charges or matters: murdering 31-year-old Anthony Burnett and 25-year-old Joseph Redmond, in Co. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

March 7th, 2012 Other
October 2 Adjournment
June 25th Hearing Or Sentence
2018-08-02 Publication

Case subjects

Jason O'Driscoll

Defendant

Charges: murdering 31-year-old Anthony Burnett and 25-year-old Joseph Redmond, in Co (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Outcome: As the judge thanked the jury for their service and exempted them from further duty for 15 years, O'Driscoll stood up and said: "Guilty of fucking what." Leaving the courtroom through a door leading towards the cells, he said there was "no evidence", he was guilty of nothing and added: "Fucking crook." Mr Justice Michael White will hand down the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on October 2.; He adjourned sentencing after counsel for the prosecution, Alex Owens SC, asked for time to allow the families of the deceased men put together an impact statement to be read to the court.