Kilrush man Brendan O’Sullivan has been convicted of murdering his neighbour Leslie Kenny.
The 26 year old father of two now faces a mandatory life sentence for shooting dead the 27 year old outside his own home on O’Gorman Street in July of last year.
After deliberating for less than three hours at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin today the jury of four women and eight men returned a unanimous guilty verdict in the murder case against Brendan O Sullivan.
During the week long trial the court heard how the father of two had shot Leslie Kenny four times -during a confrontation in O’Sullivan’s front garden at O’Gorman Street, Kilrush.
The 27 year old died almost instantly after his neighbour shot him in the hip chest before reloading and shooting him through both knees
The 26 year old had admitted shooting his neighbour but had denied murder claiming he was only protecting his family from threats made by the victim that he would slit his daughter’s throat and pour petrol in the door.
Brendan O’Sullivan told gardaí he went for his shotgun when his wife screamed ‘he’s going to kill us’ as Leslie Kenny moved towards their house.
However after just over two hours of deliberating the jury in the case found him guilty of murder.
O’Sullivan, wearing a dark suit and white shirt, nodded and responded “thank you” as Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy handed down the mandatory life sentence while his wife Claire, broke down in tears and embraced her husband.
Mr Kenny’s stepfather, John Casey meanwhile said he was glad "it had come to a closure” .
He added that there were “no winners in this, but justice was done”.
