'Never let evil pair out'
THE family of a "brutally murdered" Dungannon man, whose killers were yesterday jailed for life, have said they "pray that these evil men never walk the streets of Northern Ireland again, because our Shaun won't".
The family of 32-year-old Shaun Fitzpatrick spoke out after two Lithuanian men were convicted for the "homophobic hate attack" two years ago this month.
It took the Dungannon Crown Court jury of nine men and three women just one hour and 10 minutes at the end of the three-week trial to unanimously convict 23-year-old Andrius Dunauskas and 26-year-old Ramunas Balseris.
While they showed no emotion, Mr Fitzpatrick's married sister Stacy McNally wept at the guilty verdicts and was comforted by her father Bill.
Mr Fitzpatrick, who made no secret of being gay, was so badly beaten, with 52 separate injuries, it was initially thought he may have been shot when found in an alleyway off Dungannon's Donaghmore Road.
Later Mrs McNally said that life for them "changed forever" on March 23, 2008, the day her brother was "brutally murdered".
She described him as "a loving son, a great brother, wonderful uncle, fun-loving, hard-working, soft-hearted, kind and inoffensive" and said that when he died "part of us died with him".
Thanking all those who supported them through "this nightmare", the family declared that the "jury has reached the right verdict".
After the conviction, Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent David McConville, paid tribute to the victim's family, for "showing remarkable dignity throughout this harrowing ordeal".
Trial judge Mr Justice Hart told Dunauskas, of Lisnahull Road, Dungannon, and Balseris, of Altmore Drive, Dungannon, that the law permitted only one sentence for murder, and that was life imprisonment.
Next month he will determine the minimum sentence they must serve of that life term.
Mr Justice Hart also thanked the jury for their deliberations in the case which he added must have been "an unpleasant experience" for them at times.
In particular "having to listen to the terrible injuries inflicted on Mr Fitzpatrick by these two men for no other reason than contempt for his sexuality", he added.
By their verdicts the jury rejected the blame-game played by both Dunauskas and Balseris in accusing each other of the "brutal and sustained assault" which led to Mr Fitzpatrick's death.
Instead they accepted the prosecution case that the murder was carried out by both men for one reason and one reason only, "that Shaun Fitzpatrick was gay" and that he was the victim of "a homosexual hate attack".
Det Supt McConville said Mr Fitzpatrick was a well liked young man who "died as a result of an horrific attack while walking home from a night out".
He said the two men who "carried out this shockingly violent attack" are originally from Lithuania, but "do not represent the law abiding members of the Lithuanian community living in Dungannon, who can expect the same level of support from the police service as everyone else in Northern Ireland".
He added: "This case shows that no one in the community is above the law, regardless of their background or ethnicity.
"Anyone who attacks vulnerable individuals will be rigorously pursued by police, and brought to justice."
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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