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Violent criminal who hacked pensioner to death in own home is jailed for life
Summary
Oliver Doran, aged 24, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the axe‑murder of 76‑year‑old Kwok Ping Cheng in Robinson's Court, Dublin. The court heard that Doran entered Cheng's sheltered accommodation at 9.59 pm on 28 April 2021, left at 11.12 pm, returned at 1.03 am on 29 April, and stayed for 11 minutes before Cheng's body was found the next morning. CCTV showed Doran's movements, and a pathologist confirmed multiple blunt and sharp‑force injuries, including a fractured mandible, caused by an axe found beside the body. DNA on the axe matched Doran, who had previously fled Ireland with his family the day after the murder and was arrested on 5 May 2021. He pleaded guilty, had 98 prior convictions, and the judge described the crime as senseless with no motive, imposing a life sentence back‑dated to 17 January 2023. The sentencing hearing included a victim impact statement from Cheng's son, Jason.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Violent criminal who hacked pensioner to death in own home is jailed for life. Charges or matters: the murder of Mr Cheng (76) at Robinson's Court on the same Dublin street, on a date between April 28 and 29, 2021, and his trial began in January. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- April 28 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 29 Other
- May 4, 2021 Incident
- May 5 Incident
- May 6, 2021 Other
- January 17 Other
- 2023-05-08 Publication
Why: In passing the sentence at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice David Keane said this was "a senseless" murder with no motive, and he ruled that he was required to impose the maximum sentence of life imprisonment on Doran. CNI source report
Case subjects
Background Person
Charges: the murder of Mr Cheng (76) at Robinson's Court on the same Dublin street, on a date between April 28 and 29, 2021, and his trial began in January (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: At today's sentence hearing, Detective Garda Richard Pender gave evidence to prosecuting counsel, Anne-Marie Lawlor SC that Mr Cheng, who was originally from China but had been in Ireland for some time, lived in sheltered accommodation at Robinson's Court, while Doran lived about 100m away. He said that Doran and his family had made their escape the following day, "like happy families". "You won't be playing happy families when the sentence is read out.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Dublin street
Topics
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