Courts / Limerick / Report

'Absolutely tragic' case sees man who admitted murdering brother jailed for life

Date
2021-10-11

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Pallaskenry

Summary

Gerard Lynch, 34, of Main Street, Pallaskenry, Co Limerick, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his brother, Willie Lynch. Lynch pleaded guilty last May to the December 30, 2017, killing. At the sentence hearing, Detective Sergeant Michael Reidy told prosecuting counsel Bernard Condon SC that Lynch entered a nearby shop with blood on his hands, roaring for help, before locals discovered the victim's body. The Assistant State Pathologist reported four stab wounds, with the fatal injury damaging the thorax. Lynch admitted to stabbing his brother and identified the weapon. He had 36 previous convictions, including a three-year jail term in 2007 for arson. His barrister, Mark Nicholas SC, described the case as "absolutely tragic," noting Lynch's history of psychiatric admissions, ADHD, and substance use. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed the mandatory life sentence, backdated to 2017 when Lynch first went into custody. The judge agreed to attach a transcript of the hearing to Lynch's file, allowing the parole board to consider the mitigating factors under the Parole Act 2019, and expressed sympathy to the Lynch family.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Absolutely tragic' case sees man who admitted murdering brother jailed for life. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

December 30, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
2021-10-11 Publication

Case subjects

Gerard Lynch

Defendant

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: At a sentence hearing today, Detective Sergeant Michael Reidy told prosecuting counsel Bernard Condon SC that in 2017 Mr Lynch lived with his brother at Pallaskenry. He was jailed for three years in 2007 for arson for setting a hay barn on fire.