Daughter’s statement heard at Jason Keating sentence hearing

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Donna Kirwan’s victim impact statement was read at the Special Criminal Court during Jason Keating’s sentence hearing for an offence connected to the murder of her father, Noel ‘Duck Egg’ Kirwan. The proceedings were reported on 22 November 2018.

Keating had originally been tried for murder. On 18 October 2018, midway through his trial, he pleaded guilty to facilitating a criminal organisation in committing the murder. The Director of Public Prosecutions accepted the plea. Prosecuting counsel Paul Greene SC asked the court to enter a nolle prosequi on the murder count, meaning the State would not proceed with that prosecution.

The offence to which Keating admitted related to participating in or contributing to activity intended to facilitate a criminal organisation or its members in murdering Kirwan at St Ronan’s Drive, Clondalkin, between 20 and 22 December 2016. The court heard that Kirwan was shot six times while sitting in his car on 22 December 2016.

A victim support worker read Donna Kirwan’s statement on her behalf. She described her father as a hardworking and kind man who chose to work rather than sell drugs. She said she and her brother had discussed ending their lives after his death, but thought about the pain that would cause their loved ones.

Justice Hunt, sitting with Judge Sinead Ni Chualachain and Judge Cormac Dunne, remanded Keating in custody until 12 December, when he was due to be sentenced.