Judge seeks alternative to jail for deaf man convicted of manslaughter
A court is looking at possible alternatives to prison for a homeless heroin addict who killed a man by punching him in front of a Dublin bus.
Edward Connors is deaf and the judge heard he is being held in a 23-hour lock-up because of a lack of facilities for him in jail.
Eoghan Dudley (aged 28) was crushed to death after falling under the wheels of the bus at the corner of Nassau Street and Dawson Street.
It happened during rush hour traffic on December 6, 2012.
His younger sister narrowly avoided being at the scene herself as she was due to walk along the route around the same time her brother was killed.
From the stand earlier, Eoghan's mother described the whole thing as a nightmare she cannot wake up from.
Despite claiming it was an accident, Edward Connors was convicted of manslaughter and was due to be sentenced today.
However, after hearing there are no facilities for deaf people where he is being held, Judge Patrick McCartan decided to defer his decision.
He accepted that the punch was deliberate but said that what happened afterwards was "as close to an accident as the law permits".
"I don't propose to send him to prison if I can avoid that," he said, and the matter was adjourned until October to see if there is an appropriate alternative.
