OMEN
02-05-2009, 11:47 PM
A 26-year-old man and his 18-year-old, former-girlfriend have been convicted of the manslaughter of a teenage boy in Co Meath two years ago.
Sumbo O Woiya, 18, was shot dead at his apartment in Dunboyne on 3 August 2007.
Joseph Sullivan from Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin and Carol Craig, originally from Palmerstown Woods in Clondalkin but now living near Kilmore Quay in Co Wexford, both pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.
The court heard that Sullivan drew up a plan to attack a man who his girlfriend had claimed had raped her. That person was not the victim.
Supt Charlie Devine told the court that Sullivan had brought Craig to Celbridge to meet the gunman so he could hear what happened to her.
In the early hours of 3 August the two defendants and the gunman drove to apartments in Dunboyne Castle.
There was a security lock on the gate but a passing resident was forced, at gunpoint, to let them in.
Sullivan and the gunman then went up to the flat where Mr O Woiya lived, firing a single shot through the door and fatally injuring the schoolboy.
When the pair where arrested, Craig co-operated but Sullivan initially denied any involvement in the shooting.
However, he later admitted he had wanted to "sort out" the person who his girlfriend said had raped her.
Mr O Woiya had not been connected with those claims and Supt Devine confirmed that the allegations made by Craig were subsequently withdrawn following the arrest of the defendants.
Counsel for the State, Mark de Blacam SC, said the father of the victim did not want to give an impact statement for religious reasons and did not wish to participate in the court proceedings.
In a letter to the victim's family, Sullivan expressed his deep remorse for what had happened. He did not plan for Mr O Woiya to die.
"It pains me inside what happened that terrible night," he said, adding that he would go though again and again in his mind the events of that night.
Counsel for Craig, Gerard O'Brien SC, said his client was not involved in the planning of the attack and only found out about the gun during the journey to the victim's apartment. She too expressed her remorse for what had happened.
Judge Michael O'Shea said Sullivan and drawn up the plan, contacted the third party and brought him to the apartment.
Although he did not know the outcome would be, he bore a lot responsibility. He imposed a seven-year sentence, backdated to Sullivan's arrest in August 2007.
In passing sentence on Craig, Mr Justice O'Shea said she bore a lesser responsibility and had been put under pressure to identify the apartment on the night of the killing.
He sentenced her to three and a half years but suspended it on her entering into a bond to be off good behaviour for four years.
RTE
Sumbo O Woiya, 18, was shot dead at his apartment in Dunboyne on 3 August 2007.
Joseph Sullivan from Ballyfermot Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin and Carol Craig, originally from Palmerstown Woods in Clondalkin but now living near Kilmore Quay in Co Wexford, both pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.
The court heard that Sullivan drew up a plan to attack a man who his girlfriend had claimed had raped her. That person was not the victim.
Supt Charlie Devine told the court that Sullivan had brought Craig to Celbridge to meet the gunman so he could hear what happened to her.
In the early hours of 3 August the two defendants and the gunman drove to apartments in Dunboyne Castle.
There was a security lock on the gate but a passing resident was forced, at gunpoint, to let them in.
Sullivan and the gunman then went up to the flat where Mr O Woiya lived, firing a single shot through the door and fatally injuring the schoolboy.
When the pair where arrested, Craig co-operated but Sullivan initially denied any involvement in the shooting.
However, he later admitted he had wanted to "sort out" the person who his girlfriend said had raped her.
Mr O Woiya had not been connected with those claims and Supt Devine confirmed that the allegations made by Craig were subsequently withdrawn following the arrest of the defendants.
Counsel for the State, Mark de Blacam SC, said the father of the victim did not want to give an impact statement for religious reasons and did not wish to participate in the court proceedings.
In a letter to the victim's family, Sullivan expressed his deep remorse for what had happened. He did not plan for Mr O Woiya to die.
"It pains me inside what happened that terrible night," he said, adding that he would go though again and again in his mind the events of that night.
Counsel for Craig, Gerard O'Brien SC, said his client was not involved in the planning of the attack and only found out about the gun during the journey to the victim's apartment. She too expressed her remorse for what had happened.
Judge Michael O'Shea said Sullivan and drawn up the plan, contacted the third party and brought him to the apartment.
Although he did not know the outcome would be, he bore a lot responsibility. He imposed a seven-year sentence, backdated to Sullivan's arrest in August 2007.
In passing sentence on Craig, Mr Justice O'Shea said she bore a lesser responsibility and had been put under pressure to identify the apartment on the night of the killing.
He sentenced her to three and a half years but suspended it on her entering into a bond to be off good behaviour for four years.
RTE