A motorcyclist who killed his neighbour by punching him once to the head in an unprovoked assault has been jailed for six years.
Martin Lynn had been out socialising with his partner and friends and had just alighted from a taxi near his home when Christopher O’Neill (31), who was a neighbour of the deceased, drove past the taxi.
O’Neill stopped his motorbike, walked back to Mr Lynn and punched him with force to the head. Mr Lynn fell to the ground and was taken to hospital where he died two days later.
Judge Martin Nolan said that it was very hard to understand why O’Neill, who has 24 previous convictions, walked back to Mr Lynn.
He said there was no provocation, and it was not clear what happened or what caused O’Neill to do what he did. He said the court could only assume that the defendant “felt his path was somewhat blocked by the taxi and the people alighting [and] that infuriated him”.
O’Neill of Larkhill Road, Whitehall, Santry, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the manslaughter of Mr Lynn on July 30th, 2023.
In sentencing on Thursday, Judge Nolan said it was a very sad and awful case. He said Mr Lynn was a very popular man who was living a productive and happy life but that ended as a result of a temper outburst.
He said he could accept O’Neill’s expressions of remorse as sincere. He said the other mitigating factor was the guilty plea which, while not an early plea, was still of value.
He set a headline sentence of eight-and-a-half years, which he reduced to six in light of the mitigating factors.
Martin Lynn’s sister, Sharon, outside the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin. Photograph: Collins
Following the punch by O’Neill, Mr Lynn was taken to hospital by ambulance and was in an induced coma in the intensive care unit. He died two days later.
The deceased’s sister, Sharon Lynn, read a victim impact statement to the court in which she described her only brother as mild-mannered and sensitive who grew into a respectful and happy young man who never caused any trouble.
“I never imagined that myself and my family would find ourselves in a criminal court.”
She described it as “a violent crime carried out outside our happy family home”. Mr Lynn lived at home with his parents and had found work locally in Santry Sports Clinic.
Ms Lynn said her brother had a smile for everyone he passed and had a calming effect on people.
“The damage caused to his brain was completely catastrophic,” said Ms Lynn. “His heart stopped”.
“That moment was the worst moment of my life.”
She said she had been “living in a nightmare for 899 days”.
Mr Lynn’s mother, Sadie, said in her victim impact statement: “To think we will never celebrate Christmas or birthdays together again is heartbreaking. To think it all happened outside our own front door makes it worse … Our family will never be the same again.”