Courts / Limerick / Report
Murder accused told gardai he stabbed friend in row over cocaine cash
Summary
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Mark Crawford, aged 43, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patrick 'Pa' O'Connor, aged 24, who died after being stabbed in Fitzgerald's Bar, Limerick, on 7–8 July 2018. Crawford told Gardaí that the fatal incident followed a dispute over €100 owed for cocaine. He claimed a flick‑knife was handed to him by a young man in the bar, which he took for protection, and that he stabbed O'Connor in a moment of fear, believing he might be attacked. Crawford said he had no intention to kill and that the act was a split‑second reaction. The trial, presided over by Ms Justice Tara Burns, continues with a jury of 11 men and one woman. The prosecution maintains that Crawford admitted the stabbing to Gardaí and that the motive was a dispute over cocaine payments. The case remains in the early stages of the trial.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Murder accused told gardai he stabbed friend in row over cocaine cash. Charges or matters: murdering Patrick 'Pa' O'Connor (24) in Limerick city over two years ago; murdering Mr O'Connor at Fitzgerald's Bar, Sexton Street, in Limerick city between July 7 and July 8, 2018. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- July 7 Other
- July 8, 2018 Other
- July 9 Other
- July 6 Other
- 2020-09-04 Publication
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: murdering Patrick 'Pa' O'Connor (24) in Limerick city over two years ago; murdering Mr O'Connor at Fitzgerald's Bar, Sexton Street, in Limerick city between July 7 and July 8, 2018 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Quarry Road
- Limerick
- Limerick city
- Sexton Street
Topics
Drugs Stage Trial Violent Crime
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