Courts / Cork / Report

Pair jailed over "execution" of "The Beast" on busy city street

Date
2019-04-12

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Blackpool

County
Cork

Summary

Two men, Colin Casey (32) and Daniel Hegarty (24), were jailed for assisting the murder of Aidan "The Beast" O'Driscoll, who was shot on Cork's Old Commons Road in December 2016. Casey was sentenced to four years and six months, Hegarty to four years, both sentences running concurrently. They pleaded guilty to four counts each of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of O'Driscoll's killers. Casey supplied the alleged gunmen with vehicles and acted as a support driver; Hegarty transported and concealed a bag linked to the killers and set fire to a motorbike and a red Opel Astra. A third man, Eoin Morrissey (19), pleaded guilty to two counts of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of the killers and was given a suspended sentence of two years, with a probation report to be finalised in October. The Special Criminal Court, presided over by Justice Tony Hunt, found the defendants' assistance to be substantial and proximate to the murder.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Pair jailed over "execution" of "The Beast" on busy city street. Charges or matters: four counts of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of the killers of Mr O'Driscoll in Cork; two counts of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Mr O'Driscoll's killers. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

December 7, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
March 11, 2019 Other
October 21 Adjournment
2019-04-12 Publication

Case subjects

Colin Casey

Convicted Person

Charges: four counts of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of the killers of Mr O'Driscoll in Cork; two counts of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Mr O'Driscoll's killers (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Colin Casey (32) was today sentenced to four years and six months in prison while his co-accused Daniel Hegarty (24) was jailed for four years. Following this, Casey was sentenced to concurrent sentences of four years and six months on all counts.; The court ordered a probation report for Morrissey and adjourned the matter until October 21.

Daniel Hegarty

Convicted Person

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Daniel Hegarty (24) was jailed for four years.; The court ordered a probation report for Morrissey and adjourned the matter until October 21.

Eoin Morrissey

Defendant

Charges: two counts of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Mr O'Driscoll's killers (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Eoin Morrissey and his sentence will be finalised in October. A suspended sentence must be considered in Morrissey's case but was subject to a favourable probation report, outlined the judge, adding that the court also had the option of considering community service.; The court ordered a probation report for Morrissey and adjourned the matter until October 21.