Mark Crawford sentenced to life for Limerick pub murder

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

Mark Crawford was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment for murder at the Central Criminal Court on 2 October 2020. He was convicted of murdering Patrick ‘Pa’ O’Connor at Fitzgerald’s Bar on Sexton Street, Limerick City, on 7 or 8 July 2018.

Ms Justice Tara Burns said the killing was an act of madness fuelled by drink and drugs. Crawford had stabbed Mr O’Connor six times, including wounds to the heart and neck, after the pair had been taking cocaine and arguing over the drugs.

The jury had rejected Crawford’s claim that he acted in self-defence. His barrister told the court that Crawford was sorry and had never meant to kill Mr O’Connor.