A deaf homeless man who killed another man by punching him in front of a Dublin bus has been jailed for seven years.
Edward Connors had hoped to be transferred to a special facility for deaf people in the UK but will serve his sentence in an Irish prison.
Eoghan Dudley died instantly after Connors punched him into the path of the 145 bus at the corner of Nassau St and Dawson St during rush hour traffic just a few weeks before Christmas 2012.
Connors is deaf and efforts were made to transfer him to a specialist unit in England.
However the lack of a legal framework to allow for such a move means he’ll spend his seven year sentence here.
He will be without the necessary communication and rehabilitation services, something the organisation DEAF HEAR says will make his time behind bars very difficult.
There is a political will to ensure deaf offender’s needs are met in Irish prisons and Judge Patrick McCartan has left the door open for Mr. Connor’s case to be looked at again if the situation changes.
