First Conviction Of Using Car As Murder Weapon

The man accused of murdering a 21 year-old male in Arklow is the first to be convicted of using his car as the murder weapon.

Anthony O’Reilly, 22, of Cleggan Park, Ballyfermot, Dublin, was found guilty of murdering Daniel McDonald, 21, in May last year.

The jury in the Central Criminal Court at Dublin also found O’Reilly guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of Mr McDonald and reckless endangerment.

The court heard how the two men had been fighting in Arklow’s Rascals Disco. After the two men had been thrown out, they continued trading insults before O’Reilly jumped into the passenger seat of a black car. Mr McDonald kicked through the passenger window getting his foot stuck as he did so. O’Reilly then told the girl driving the vehicle to "drive the f***ing car".

Mr McDonald freed himself while O’Reilly continued shouting insults and demanded to be taken to another address to retrieve a shotgun.

As the driver made her way back into the main street O’Reilly grabbed her steering wheel forcing her car in the direction of Mr McDonald who was standing near the footpath and just missed him.

A witness said O’Reilly had been acting badly outside the bar, threatening bouncers and shouting Mr McDonald was "dead".

O’Reilly then got into his red Honda Civic and drove past the victim shouting abuse. He performed a three-point-turn and came back up the street as Mr McDonald walked on to the road to meet him.

Some witnesses said Mr McDonald put his hands up in a gesture telling O’Reilly to stop, others said the gesture was more of a "come on" challenge.

O’Reilly was travelling at approximately 50mph in the wrong lane and slammed into Mr McDonald sending him 78 feet in the air on impact.

Mr McDonald landed 33 metres down Arklow’s main street shattering his skull and tearing his brain tissue.

O’Reilly ran from the scene and went to Arklow's Garda station, he later told a Sergeant: "I didn’t mean for him to die, I was driving the car that hit him, he f***ed up messing with me, f*** him anyway."

O’Reilly is to return to the high court to be sentenced.

(DW)