The Daily Star Ireland
A 42-year-old man has been given a life sentence in connection with the murder of a man at a hostel in Dublin two years ago. Robert Murphy of the Harrington Street Hostel, Dublin, stabbed the victim, Jamie Kavanagh, on April 19, 2023, after an altercation began in the kitchen area.
Although Murphy pleaded to manslaughter, a jury convicted him of murder last November. In the victim impact statement in court today, Murphy was read the words of Jamie Kavanagh’s mother who spoke of her deep and ongoing pain since his murder – and how unnatural it is for a parent to bury their child and that the wound is “wide open.”
The court also heard that at the time of the killing, Murphy and Kavanagh were residents of the hostel, along with Kavanagh’s partner, Amber Smith. On the night of the incident, one of the hostel’s residents, Carrie Benn testified that she heard Kavanagh call for help. He had been stabbed seven times and later died at St. James’s Hospital.
Following his arrest, Murphy made full admissions to the attack, telling Gardaí, “I done that. I’ll tell youse what happened.” He said he aimed for Kavanagh’s neck with the intention of killing him but also suggested he was acting in self-defence following an argument.
CCTV footage, showing Murphy in a laneway to the rear of the hostel, wearing a balaclava played, revealed him scaling over a wall at the rear, entering through a back door, and spending two minutes trying to gain access to Kavanagh’s bedsit. When Gardaí searched Murphy, they found a bag containing blood-stained clothes, knives, a balaclava, and €750 in cash.
Amber Smith testified that she and Kavanagh had planned to move to Spain together, having borrowed over €900 from family members for their new start. This plan was tragically cut short.
In a victim-impact statement, Niamh McGuinness described her son Jamie as her “hero.” His death, she said, had left their family utterly devastated. She also criticized Murphy for initially entering a plea of not-guilty, a move she believes added to the trauma. On the pain of losing her child, she has said, “Burying your child is unnatural. It changes everything about you, and a violent end adds a whole other level of despair.”
The court also heard that Murphy had 66 previous convictions which included for knives, firearms, ammunition and arson with intent to endanger life. His defence counsel told the court his client was sorry: “sorry for the young lad, his family and friends,” but said “things got out of control.”
At her sentencing, Ms. Justice Melanie Greally recognized the traumatic impact of the trial on Kavanagh’s family and imposed the mandatory life imprisonment on Murphy for his crime.
