Fergus O’Connor sentenced to life for murdering brother after family funeral

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

Fergus O’Connor was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his brother Paudie after a family funeral in Co Kerry. The jury rejected Fergus O’Connor’s claim of self-defence, and the judge said it had been argued extensively at trial. The mandatory sentence was backdated to 28 June 2024.

The court heard that Paudie O’Connor died from a single stab wound to the chest that penetrated his heart, diaphragm and liver. The judge said he died in brutal and frightening circumstances at the hands of his only brother. She also noted his partner, family and friends were left grieving, and that his death left a teenage son without his father.