Paul Wells Junior guilty of impeding father's prosecution

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

Paul Wells Junior was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court of impeding the prosecution of his father, Paul Wells Senior, by disposing of a chainsaw used to dismember Kenneth O'Brien's body. The proceedings were reported on 22 November 2019.

Wells Junior had pleaded not guilty to disposing of the chainsaw motor in Co Kildare between 19 and 20 January 2016, and to disposing of its blade and chain there on 20 January 2016. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on both counts after deliberating for three hours and 55 minutes.

The prosecution case was that Wells Junior disposed of the chainsaw knowing his father had taken a life. He told gardaí that he did not know it had been used to dismember Mr O'Brien's body and maintained that he had not tried to hinder the investigation. He said he was afraid his father would shoot him.

Wells Senior had been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering Mr O'Brien at his home in Finglas on 15 or 16 January 2016. He admitted shooting Mr O'Brien, dismembering his body and dumping it in a suitcase in the Grand Canal.

Wells Junior was remanded on continuing bail until 10 February, when a sentence hearing was expected.