Overview
- Mr Justice Paul McDermott jailed John Irving for 16 years, with the final year suspended, and sentenced Francis Harman and John Clarke to 15 years each, with the final year suspended.
- The prison terms are backdated to time already served, and release requires engagement with the Probation Service or the suspended portion may be activated.
- The judge condemned the killing as a planned, savage attack on a defenceless 75-year-old in his own home who later died from his injuries.
- Investigators established the trio’s reconnaissance before the 18 January 2022 assault, the theft of about €800, and the dumping of Mr Niland’s wallet and gloves that carried DNA.
- The court heard of extensive prior records: Irving has 57 previous convictions, Harman 27, and Clarke 22.