Courts / Dublin / Report

Man who shot friend and dismembered his body is found guilty of murder

Date
2018-11-06

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Paul Wells Snr, 50, of Barnamore Park, Finglas, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Kenneth O'Brien. The defendant pleaded not guilty to murdering the 33-year-old at his home in Barnamore Park on 15th or 16th January 2016, alleging he acted in self-defence after a scuffle over a gun. However, the court found him guilty of murder. The prosecution established that Wells shot O'Brien in the back of the head, dismembered the body using a chainsaw, and dumped the remains in the Grand Canal. Despite Wells's claims that O'Brien had requested he murder O'Brien's partner, forensic evidence, including post-mortem findings indicating the gun was held against the victim's head, contradicted the self-defence plea. The jury rejected his account, leading to a guilty verdict. Wells was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. The case involved extensive evidence, including bank transfers totalling almost €53,000 from O'Brien to Wells, and CCTV footage of the disposal of body parts. The court emphasized the premeditated nature of the cover-up and the brutality of the act, resulting in the maximum penalty for the offence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who shot friend and dismembered his body is found guilty of murder. Charges or matters: murdering the 33-year-old at his home in Barnamore Park on 15th or 16th January, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

16th January Other
January 15th Other
Christmas Other
Christmas 2015 Other
2018-11-06 Publication

Why: He described in detail his coming to terms with what he had done and what he had to do after killing the friend with whom he had laughed and giggled; he said he had to bite down on a wrung-up tea towel in order to take the chainsaw to his body. CNI source report