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'Our lives have been shattered forever': Man sentenced for manslaughter of schoolboy in 2015

13-year-old Oisin McGrath, following an incident at St Micheal’s College, Fermanagh.

A FERMANAGH MAN has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years at Dungannon Crown Court today for the manslaughter of a boy at a school in 2015.

Francis McDermott, aged 20, from Camphill Park, Newtownbutler, pleaded guilty in October to the manslaughter of 13-year-old Oisin McGrath, following an incident at St Micheal’s College in Enniskillen on 9 February 2015.

Both McDermott and McGrath were students in the school at the time of the incident.

The court heard younger pupils at the school had been trying to keep a football from older pupils, one of whom was McDermott, BBC News reports.

McDermott had grabbed at the 13-year-old and gave him a “moderate blow behind the left ear, but it burst a vein,” according to the BBC. He died three days after the incident from a head injury.

In a statement released after sentencing today, Oisin’s family said that the 13-year-old was in full health when he died and had no underlying conditions. “He was not struck by a bottle or a ball, Oisín was intentionally struck by Francis McDermott and this action caused his death. If Oisín had not been hit, he would still be here today,” the statement said.

Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Talbot, from PSNI’s Serious Crime Branch, said that while the sentencing brings a close to the police investigation, it doesn’t bring an end to the pain Oisin’s family and friends are suffering.

“They continue to face a life without Oisin and miss him daily as he was their beloved son, brother, grandson, nephew and cousin. They will now not see him finish his education or find a career, grow into a young man or know what his future might hold,” Talbot said.

He issued a reminder that “one spur of the moment action”, be it at school or any other setting, can have long-term and devastating consequences for all involved – the victim and also the perpetrator.

“I would urge people to think before they act, as one strike can kill.”

‘Our lives stood still’

Oisín’s family said in their statement that they have been left “with our own life sentence” since his death.

Oisín was an amazing young person with his whole life ahead of him, we will always miss his presence; his voice, his laughter and the pride we felt watching him grow into a wonderful young individual.
It breaks our hearts every minute of every day that we will never see him, hear him, or hug him again.

“On that day in February 2015, Oisin’s life was ended and our lives stood still, shattered forever.

“Oisín paid the ultimate price with his life and we, without him, are left with our own life sentence.  No words versed today will bring Oisín back or change the damage caused.

Our battle to deal with our loss has only just begun; it’s a horrific, stomach churning, tearful and emotional place that we never thought we would find ourselves in.  We miss Oisín so much and need to try to deal with our loss as best we can, so we would respectfully ask that our family are now left to grieve in peace.

“Oisín will be forever running in our hearts and we will continue to raise awareness of organ donation and brain injury in his memory, as well as continuing with youth sports development in our community; but nothing will ever be the same again.”

Additional reporting by Christine Bohan

Read: ‘He was crying because he was so cold, so miserable’: TD cries as she tells story of young homeless man

More: Gardaí ask public to help find man missing from Limerick city since Tuesday

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    Mute Julie Power
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    Mar 10th 2022, 9:32 PM

    Fair play to all the polish people doing everything they can to help!

    314
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    Mute Rmaybe
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    Mar 10th 2022, 10:32 PM

    @Stephen Foster: That is absolute BS

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    Mute Marcin Zawila
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    Mar 10th 2022, 10:46 PM

    @Stephen Foster: What are you talking about? Are you for real? Poles not doing that voluntarily? How dare you say that?

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    Mute sistermoon
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    Mar 10th 2022, 10:51 PM

    @Marcin Zawila: its an attention seeking tr0ll, leave him be ;)

    47
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    Mute Marcin Zawila
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    Mar 10th 2022, 10:58 PM

    @Stephen Foster: it absolutely boils my blood. You are horrible person. What made you said that?? Poles paying for everything from their own pocket!! Feeding and housing those poor families and not getting a dime from the government. Even Polish living in Ireland are helping Ukrainians. How dare you say those accusations.
    Shame on you

    116
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    Mute artur fil
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    Mar 10th 2022, 10:59 PM

    @Marcin Zawila:Trol..s cause negative reactions in others, because they want attention. So then…
    Just. Ignore.Him
    Don’t fuel him
    He want you to get upset. Don’t give him the pleasure. Deprive him of his live force, so he’ll go dig elsewhere…

    44
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    Mute Stephen Murphy
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    Mar 10th 2022, 11:08 PM
    1
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    Mute Marcin Zawila
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    Mar 10th 2022, 11:16 PM

    @Stephen Murphy: have you been there? Have you seen it? I personally helped a family of 6 with 3 small children from Odessa. Almost all of my friends in Krakow are housing and feeding families from Ukraine absolutely for free. Are you gonna send me another useless link?

    You must be a Russian troll. I wont waste my time on you

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    Mute Stephen Murphy
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    Mar 11th 2022, 12:44 AM

    @Marcin Zawila: I know people who are on the border now to help them. and the wall is real. do a bit of Google search when u have time on the wall.

    3
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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Mar 11th 2022, 12:47 AM

    @Stephen Foster: whatever your grievances with Poland?That has to be one of the most idotic comments ever posted on the journal. Feel proud won’t ye Stephen.

    33
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    Mute James Lough
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    Mar 11th 2022, 1:42 AM

    @Stephen Murphy: Stephen, absolute disgústing and inaccurate. l know a polish family who have taken in 20 people concluding a baby born on the day of the bombing. They are doing everything possible to assist and should be proud of their actions. You on the other hand should háng your head in shàme.

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    Mute James Lough
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    Mar 11th 2022, 1:51 AM

    @James Lough: including *

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    Mute sistermoon
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    Mar 10th 2022, 9:32 PM

    Excuse me but no. Polish government did nothing. Zero. Please edit the article cos they didn’t provide anything and reading this simply made me laugh.

    Everything and I mean EVERY SINGLE THING was provided and/ or bought by volunteers who organize themselves on social media. They buy food, clothes, medicine, they offer their own houses and apartments, collect money and work for free 24/7. They get no help from government, trust me, they even have to pay with their own money for refugees who want to use toilets at Warsaw central train station, cos no official wants to make decision to get rid of those fees.

    You’ve got so many Poles in Ireland, just ask them if you need correct info on subjects like this, it better than writing nonsense.

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    Mute Stephen Murphy
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    Mar 10th 2022, 10:22 PM

    @sistermoon: I totally agree with you on this having spoken to few people on the ground there. they said they Poland wasn’t letting any coloured people into Poland asking for visas and all and most of them are students having Ukrainian visa. Even before the war Poland said it strictly that no Muslim refugees not a single 1. Poland is probably getting EU funds but not spending it on refugees.

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    Mute Dichard O'Ronoghue
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    Mar 10th 2022, 11:52 PM

    My friend and I are here in Przemyśl as we speak, we flew in to Rzeszów this morning and rented 2 cars before driving to Medyka in the hope we could help assist fleeing refugees onwards travel to Ireland

    From Medyka we were told to go one of distribution centers in Przemyśl where we signed up as official transport drivers, supplying vehicular & passport information as there is a fear even in this unthinkable situation that unscrupulous people will try to benefit, namely by way of human trafficking

    After speaking with both officials & displaced refugees we were shocked to learn that very few people want to come to Ireland as there seems to be a perception amongst them that we are part of the UK and are adopting a zenophobic approach to this crisis as per our neighbours across the pond….

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    Mute Marcin Zawila
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    Mar 11th 2022, 5:35 AM

    @Dichard O’Ronoghue: Hats off to you lads

    42
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    Mute Dichard O'Ronoghue
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    Mar 11th 2022, 12:03 AM

    ….The one shining light and comfort I took from what I saw today by the Ukranian border was the resolut determinedness, solidarity and breakable spirit of these refugees. If those left behind fighting have half the conviction of the people I saw today then Putin doesn’t stand a chance. These people won’t be broken, not as long as we stand united alongside them.

    39
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    Mute Dichard O'Ronoghue
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    Mar 11th 2022, 12:02 AM

    …. I commend anyone at home who has offered up a bed for these refugees, however what I also encourage you to do try to ask the question; ‘are the mechanisms actually in place for people in need to easily come to Ireland to avail of your generosity?’

    Our government also needs to distance itself from the zenophobia associated with the UK and send a clear message to the displaced people of Ukraine that Ireland is a true European country with open borders and that they are as welcome here as anywhere else they choose to call home.

    It’s all very well and good congratulating ourselves for a few pledges donated on the Late Late of a Friday night but that doesn’t mean Jack to the tens of thousands of homeless people I saw today alone….

    21
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    Mute Dichard O'Ronoghue
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    Mar 10th 2022, 11:58 PM

    ….Then we also have said issue of public perception here being that we are as unwelcoming to these misfortunate souls as the UK are being…

    There seems to be a serious breakdown in communication between the various parties involved in trying to assist these displaced people from an Irish standpoint, along a with a large disparity between what we say we’re willing to do and the actions we actually take. But I suppose we were always great at talking a big game and not following through. Plenty of condemnation, rhetoric and back-slapping, but very little in the way of concrete action….

    20
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    Mute Dichard O'Ronoghue
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    Mar 10th 2022, 11:56 PM

    ….We are both due to return home on Saturday evening and were hoping to have provided onwards travel assistance (car & plane) to as many refugees as possible by then, but as it stands I’m not sure if we will succeed in helping anyone.

    A couple of kind friends at home on Limerick have selflessly offered to take a refugee family in for as long as is necessary (indefinitely if needed) & we were hoping for further commitments from others but so far none have been forthcoming.

    Most frustratingly, I see good-news-stories popping up at home about thousands of beds being offered up for refugees arriving into the country, however on the other hand my friend & I were actively discouraged by national humanitarian organisations from undertaking our current endeavour….

    12
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    Mute artur fil
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    Mar 10th 2022, 9:26 PM

    Phone call from the russian soldier to his wife.
    http://www.instagram.com/p/Ca6muSsDBzi/

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    Mute Tom Daly
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    Mar 14th 2022, 1:20 PM

    Well done to you Niall – come home safe to us.

    4
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