Cailean Crawford, who murdered Thomas McCarthy by shooting him repeatedly at his doorstep, displayed disdain in court after being convicted of murder. Previously jailed for conspiracy to murder, Crawford stormed out of the dock following the jury's unanimous guilty verdict.
A cold-blooded killer who “executed” a grandfather “without mercy”, shooting him repeatedly when he answered the front door at his mother’s home, shouted: “F*** you and your fair trial” and stormed out of the dock after a jury convicted him of murder this afternoon.
The jury agreed with the State’s case that Crawford was the assassin who fired several times, fatally injuring Mr McCarthy, having come to the scene in a blue Ford Fiesta car which was seen driving in and out of the area on CCTV. He told the jury that as a result of their verdict, “the good people of Ballyfermot”, whom they had heard Crawford “slur” in the witness box, will be able to “live free of him for some time”.
Prosecuting counsel Bernard Condon SC had told the trial there was “undoubtedly more than one person involved” in a “conspiracy” over the murder. He said the State’s case was that Crawford was the gunman who repeatedly shot Mr McCarthy “quite viciously and without mercy”. The State had argued that Crawford was the person who was driving the GoVan and that he was also the driver of the blue Ford Fiesta which was seen moving in and out of the area on CCTV.
Mr Condon said that Mr McCarthy was shot seven times, meaning “he never had a chance in that style of execution” and died in his mother’s hallway. Some of the cars were later found burnt out, with a 9mm semi-automatic weapon retrieved from the Fiesta. Counsel reminded the panel that an eyewitness had given a description of the person suspected of being the killer as being six-foot tall, “not young, possibly late 30s, very skinny” and “junkie-looking”, with a black tooth or tooth missing. He said that the accused did not match this description.
They may commit crimes, he said, but they do so mostly out of “desperation” and a response to “immediate need”. Mr Justice Hunt said the panel had been told not to conduct any research during the case. “I’m sure the first thing most of you will do when you go home is consult Mr Google.” He said he would save them the trouble by telling them “the tale”.Again in an “uncanny co-incidence”, the judge said, three getaway cars were used which was “perhaps somewhat similar to what was used in this case”. He said the three cars were burned out and a fourth was intercepted by the gardaí.
Murder Court Guilty Verdict Cailean Crawford Thomas Mccarthy Cold-Blooded Killer Dublin
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