Man's jaw broken in attack after convicted killer's 'misinformed' TikTok
The footage, which went viral on social media before it was labelled 'misinformation' by gardaí, was filmed by Gerard McNamara and posted to his TikTok account.
The group later claimed they engaged in vigilantism by bringing the man to a nearby Garda station. But this claim was also dismissed by gardaí, who said they fear someone will 'end up dead' as a result of targeted 'nonsense' published by far-right groups online. The footage, which went viral on social media before it was labelled 'misinformation' by gardaí, was filmed by Gerard McNamara and posted to his TikTok account. Pic: File
A Garda spokesman also confirmed the man's 'alleged conduct was not of a criminal nature and there was nothing untoward' in his behaviour.
Killer McNamara – who kicked and beat his own father to death – is part of a group that Extra.ie previously revealed has begun staging street patrols and has members in almost every county in the country.
Sinne na Daoine, founded by failed general election candidate and former Ireland First president Anthony Casey, describes themselves as a 'community watchdog'. Sinne na Daoine, founded by failed general election candidate and former Ireland First president Anthony Casey, describes themselves as a 'community watchdog'. Pic: File
They have been publicly backed by former MMA fighter and self-styled presidential candidate Conor McGregor.
Last week, McNamara posted footage of a man sitting in the People's Park in Limerick city. He and other members of the group surrounded the man, whom they accused of approaching children in the park.
They later claimed they brought the man to Henry Street Garda Station in the city. In the footage, the man explains he was simply saying hello to a baby who was with their parents and grandparents. But one of group responds, saying: 'It doesn't matter – you don't go near kids no matter where the f*** you are. A Muslim man was hospitalised with a broken jaw after a convicted killer involved in a far-right 'vigilante' group wrongly accused him of inappropriately approaching children in a park. Pic: TikTok
A woman with an English accent is heard telling the man that it is their local playground and they want their 'kids to be safe'.
The man then tried to shake a member of the group's hand but was told: 'I should smack your head off.' McNamara is heard asking the man if it is part of his religion to 'marry nine-year-olds'. The man replied 'no' and shook his head in disgust.
He was then told the gardaí had been called and that they would be reporting him to the accommodation he is staying. 'F*** you, coming over here,' McNamara adds before the video cuts off.
A source familiar with the incident said McNamara later shared the 'false information' about the man on social media, making him a 'walking target'.
Sinne na Daoine leader Casey later claimed they brought the man to the Garda station after the video was taken.
But a source familiar with the case denied this version of events. They told Extra.ie: 'All they did was make him a walking target by sharing the false information all over social media.
'A day later, the man was targeted in an attack and hospitalised. He had his jaw broken after these vigilantes made baseless claims about him and spread it about social media.'
In response to queries from Extra.ie, McNamara insisted the group 'walked' the man they approached in the park 'to the garda station', adding 'the garda never showed up'. He also denied that he or members of his group were responsible for the subsequent brutal assault of the same man.
McNamara said in a text response: 'If we broke his nose, we would of never ringing the garda. If we attacked him be stupid if we broke his nose and then walked him to the garda.'
McNamara was sentenced to eight years in prison, with the final two years suspended, in 2012 for killing his father in a drink-fuelled row. He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Joseph 'Joey' O'Donnell, 48, at Hyde Road, Prospect, in Limerick on October 1, 2010.
Mr O'Donnell died in hospital from blunt force trauma to the head, hours after his son had kicked him and beaten him with a number of household items.
At the time, the court heard McNamara had 16 previous convictions, including theft and possession of drugs and public order offences. The convicted killer addressed his past in a video posted to TikTok this week. He claimed he has no idea why people are commenting under his posts that he is a murderer and that he didn't want to have to 'lower himself' by explaining what actually happened.
He also doubled down on the video he posted about the man in the park, saying there is 'evidence' of 'this Muslim foreign fella' approaching children, but without providing any proof.
McNamara tells his followers: 'I have never, ever spent a day in prison in my life for murder. I don't know where you're getting all this from.
'I had an argument with my dad, alright. An argument with my dad. He didn't f***in' die, he didn't die there and then. We had an argument. I'm not going to go into the details. Things were said. He hit me, I hit my dad, he fell, banged his head. Got up, continued on drinking. Guards came, ambulance came. Get your facts right. I was never locked up for murder.'
McNamara admitted he made a mistake, but asked: 'Who never had a drink with someone, got in a row and hit him in the head?' He added: 'He died three days later. I got charged with manslaughter. He's my dad. I love him. I miss him. I didn't go out with a balaclava and a gun. I didn't bate him with f***in' weapons.'
Extra.ie previously reported how Sinne na Daoine publicised their first and second 'patrols' in Limerick city and Clonmel in Co. Tipperary on social media.
They have also listed the names of companies or people they label 'plantation enablers' on their website. A picture from the group's first patrol in Limerick city showed Kildare South election candidate Casey posing alongside McNamara.The group were dressed in orange vests with the Sinne na Daoine logo.
A source familiar with the group's operation told Extra.ie: 'They are organised and anyone who wants to join is screened.'
Gardaí have been closely monitoring the group as they 'patrol' the streets. A source said: 'It is a concern to gardaí and they are monitoring their activities.'
In response to queries, a Garda spokesman said: 'On Monday, June 30, 2025 a number of members of the public expressed their concern to gardaí attached to Henry Street Garda Station, for the alleged behaviour of a man who had earlier been seated in the People's Park, Limerick.
'Having carried out enquiries into these concerns, An Garda Síochána is satisfied that the alleged conduct was not of a criminal nature and was nothing untoward. The male fully co-operated with gardaí during the course of their enquiries.'
The spokesman also confirmed gardaí are 'investigating an assault of a male that occurred in the Parnell Street area of Limerick City at approximately 3:45 pm on the afternoon of July 1'.
It is an offence to communicate threatening, abusive or insulting material that is intended, or likely to 'stir up' hatred against a group of people because of their race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Some of the most memorable images taken by Mirror photographer Mick O'Neill
Our beloved colleague and friend Mick O'Neill was one of Ireland's best known and most widely respected photojournalists. He worked with us for more than 20 years - and produced some of the most memorable news photographs ever taken in Ireland. Right up until two days before his tragic death in an accident in his native Dublin on Saturday, he was working away, striving to get the best photographs for the Mirror and Star. His commitment to the job he loved and excelled at was famous in Irish journalism. Just last week, he photographed our Crime Correspondent Paul Healy in a moving interview with Ryan Casey, the partner of murdered Offaly teacher Ashling Murphy. It was Mr Casey's first media interview. In April of this year, he produced what is undoubtedly the news photograph of the year - when he snapped this stunning image of Michael Kelley in Kenmare, Co Kerry. The photograph was taken on the farm of then missing farmer Michael Gaine, as Kelley used an axe to chop wood. I was standing beside him with a few others - but Mick was the only one of us who heard the sound of wood being chopped and realised it was Kelley. He took out his long lens and waited patiently for several minutes before Kelley appeared in the distance - and he framed the shot perfectly. He also shot exclusive images of Kelley in May after he had been released from Garda custody. Kelley confirmed to Paul Healy he was a suspect for the murder of Mr Gaine - but denied any involvement. The story and Mick's pictures went around the world. He would no doubt have won an award for that axe pic - like the gong he got earlier this year for this shot of a family caught up in a wave in Howth, Co Dublin. In February 2016, he took to the skies of Dublin in a light plane and captured remarkable images of the funeral cortege of slain Kinahan ally David Byrne, murdered by the Hutch mob in the gun attack on the city's Regency Airport Hotel. That killing sparked a bloody spree of revenge by the Kinahan cartel - and Mick was central to our coverage of the feud and the Garda response to it. The day after the Byrne murder, Mick worked the streets of south Dublin and managed to get this exclusive photo of Daniel Kinahan, Freddie Thompson and Thomas Bomber Kavanagh running together to hold a secret meeting. He became an expert in covering An Garda Siochana - and cultivated his own personal relationships with many officers. And he had a knack of being at the right place at the right time - down to instinct and hard work - to grab pictures like this one of a clean shaven Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch enjoying his liberty shortly after he was released from prison in April 2023 after being acquitted of the Byrne murder. He had a unique skill of being able to frame photos perfectly, even though he may have had only seconds to compose the shot. In this example from April 2024, he captured the moment I confronted convicted stalker Raymond Dunne in Tullow, Co Carlow. Mick got the perfect shot of Dunne giving me the evil eyes as I gave him my card and told him I was a reporter. Through hard work and contacts, Mick also heard that Gary Hutch, the Monk's nephew, was back in Dublin in February 2015 and managed to photograph him walking in the city. They were the last photographs taken of him before he was murdered by the Kinahans in Spain in September of that year. He was on the ground to capture powerful images of Garda squads like the Emergency Response Unit and Armed Support Unit mounting snap checkpoints in a desperate bid to keep a lid on the simmering feud, which would eventually claim up to 18 lives. Mick was constantly working and was well known in the industry for putting in long hours to make sure he got the photo. One such example was in June 2018, when he spent several days to get this photo of Scissor Sister killer Linda Mulhall, the first since she was released from prison after serving 15 years for the manslaughter of body in the canal victim Farah Swaleh Noor. And in September 2021, he lay in a forest for hours to photograph Brian Meehan - the killer of crime reporter Veronica Guerin - enjoying a game of pitch and putt at Shelton Abbey open prison in Co Wicklow. A few months later, he and I flew to Spain to confront Meehan's boss John Gilligan. We staked him out for several days and Mick got long distance shots of him before we confronted him on the anniversary of the murder - and he scurried away. He did the same thing when we again confronted him in Torrevieja in June of last year. Mick regularly went overseas on jobs. In early 2008, he spent a month in Fuengirola covering the search for missing Irish teenager Amy Fitzpatrick. And he covered the case from day one, following every tragic twist and turn - here and in Spain. He covered the case of the Peru Two, including Irish woman Michaella McCollum, in Lima in August 2013 and went to Mauritius for the case of murdered Tyrone woman Michaela McAreavey in January 2011. He also went to Lebanon in June 2023, where he captured the work of Irish United Nations peacekeepers on the border with Israel. He enjoyed covering the Defence Forces and he and I would regularly go to the Glen of Imaal in rural Co Wicklow, where military personnel are put through their paces before going on dangerous missions abroad. He connected with everyone he met and put people at their ease. That was not more evident than a photograph from January 2023 - when he photographed little Alejandro Mizsan after he returned to his home in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford following hospital treatment for horror wounds he suffered when attacked by a dog. In 2020, he photographed Sameer Syed at the funerals of his murdered wife amid children in south Dublin. Syed was later charged with their murders and subsequently took his own life. Although Mick was best known in the business for covering crime, he would turn his hand to any subject - and be a top professional. In March 2023, he travelled down to Co Clare to photograph Donald Trump enjoying a round of golf at his Doonbeg resort - the same place where he snapped the now US President's son Eric in 2016. And he had no objection to covering the lighter stories. He regularly drove around Dublin for pics of people enjoying the weather. And he would cover the National Ploughing Championships - producing this image of our Showbiz Editor Sandra Mallon enjoying the mud in Ratheniska, Co Laois in 2023. Mick was a consummate professional, a grafter who put the hours in every day. He had a gift for getting people to like him and for being calm and keeping his sense of humour in even the most stressful jobs. He worked with so many journalists over the years and his current crew of Michael O'Toole, Paul Healy, Sandra Mallon, Nicola Donnelly, Laura Colgan, Keith Falkiner, Billy Scanlan and Danny de Vaal, are all devastated by his loss. As is every other reporter and snapper who ever had the honour of working with him. His friendship, humour, calmness, hard work, and love of tea and buns kept us going on long and hard shifts. He never stopped working. We'll never stop missing him.
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I busted county lines gang that exports school kids like slaves…I've seen desperate kids leap from windows
AFTER bashing down the door to a drug den on the third floor of a tower block, police officers were surprised to see a window open and a burner phone on the ledge. One of the 17-year-old 12 Jamal Andall was jailed for trafficking a child across county lines Credit: Channel 4 12 Dealers threaten to 'rub out' school children they've recruited in chilling texts Credit: Channel 4 12 An arrest following a raid on a drug den in Dunstable, Bedfordshire Credit: Channel 4 They were shocked to see the youngster survived the potentially fatal leap - but he didn't get away. The savvy officers were able to track him down and the mobile device led them to the kingpin behind an extensive county lines network. But a new episode of Channel 4's Gary Hales, an investigating officer from Bedfordshire Police's Boson guns and gangs unit at the time of the arrests, tells The Sun: 'When you are going into a top floor flat you don't expect someone to be jumping out of the window. Read More in The Sun "It was amazing he didn't break his legs. 'There is fear. A way the gangs keep these children street dealing is to threaten them and show a bit of force. 'When you are on a lower rung, you have the elders threatening you, you are around the knives, you are around the violence that goes on.' In the show, which airs on Sunday at 9pm, we see some of the messages sent to a 15-year-old boy called Gavin, not his real name, who has been roped in by the ruthless criminals. Most read in The Sun There are threats to stab his mum, including 'wil shank up u mum'. Officers believe that Gavin has been told he has a drug debt and constantly has to work to pay it off otherwise they will face violent consequences. Police start huge crackdown against county lines gangs ruining teenage lives They will be told, 'Where is the rest of the money? You had more drugs.' In fact the teenagers haven't lost any drugs, they are just being told they have in order to keep them in debt. Adult mob members recruit school children because they are less likely to be sent to prison due to their age. Gavin's mum has called the police in a desperate state, because he keeps going missing, sometimes for 10 days at a time. The police suspect he is being sent around various 'trap houses', an American term for a drug den, in different English counties. 'Saturated' Luton has become so 'saturated' with drug lines that dealers send children far afield. Gary says: 'In terms of drug lines there are over 100 listed that are Bedfordshire based. "But then you have county lines going to places like Essex and London trying to muscle in. Luton is exporting drug deal lines to places where they are not known to police. We have rescued children from Swindon Gary Hales 'Luton is exporting drug deal lines to places where they are not known to police. We have rescued children from Swindon. 'Drug lines in Luton are saturated, they are known to police.' Access to Gavin's phone leads the detectives to the flat in Dunstable which is part of a network selling class A drugs including crack cocaine. Inside the flat is a 14-year-old boy, who has also been recruited by the county lines gangs. The flat is rented by a 23-year-old former heroin addict who says he allows the dealers to use his property because he doesn't want 'to get my head kicked in'. He warns: 'Drugs get you involved with stupid people.' Criminal control 12 Investigating officer Gary Hales helped track down the adult gangsters Credit: Channel 4 12 Drugs were found in Andall's car Credit: Channel 4 12 Luton in Bedfordshire is exporting drug dealers to other counties Credit: Alamy The pay as you go burner phone found on the window ledge has been topped up in various shops. By studying the CCTV of those businesses, the police are able to identify an adult higher up in the operation. When they arrest Jamal Andall in 2020 they find more burner phones and SIM cards in his home, plus crack rocks in his Ford Focus car. After being questioned, Andall is told he has been given bail and can go home. But the gangster says: 'I'm not walking home. It's not safe around here. I've been shot. I've been stabbed.' Remarkably, the police accede to his request and agree to drive him home. It's not safe around here. I've been shot. I've been stabbed Jamal Andall Andall and his fellow drug dealer Alex Anderson, both 30, became the first members of a county lines gang to be convicted of modern slavery offences by Bedfordshire Police. In February last year Andall was jailed for seven years for being concerned in the supply of heroin, with Anderson receiving six years and four months for the same offence. They were also sentenced to six years for exploitation and three years for being concerned in the supply of cocaine, but those will be served concurrently. The court heard that the two men trafficked a 15-year-old boy from Bedfordshire to Lowestoft in Suffolk, where officers found the boy with £3,000 worth of crack cocaine. Saving the 'lost boys' 12 Jamal Andall (right) and his fellow drug dealer Alex Anderson (left), both 30, became the first members of a county lines gang to be convicted of modern slavery offences by Bedfordshire Police 12 Class A drugs were found on the teenager exploited by Andall and Anderson Credit: Bedfordshire Police 12 Incriminating texts found on a phone in Andall's home helped nail him Credit: Bedfordshire Police Gary, though, says that 'there is always someone higher up', and that dealers keep finding new recruits. He says: 'They go to schools and care homes to slip them some cannabis and form a relationship with them. 'They might give you a top up for your phone, you'll think it's free, but nothing is free, there is going to be a pay day for that. 'They pull them into what is an organised crime group." The key to disrupting their business model is to stop children getting so entangled they don't think they can escape. A parent will notice a change in their child, whether they have got new clothes they can't afford or they are missing school Gary Hales He says: 'As a police force we are about protecting the community, and that means safeguarding these youngsters who have become dissociated and get pushed into these paths.' Bedfordshire police launched a Lost Boys campaign to inform parents, teachers and pupils about the warning signs. Gary says: 'Generally, a parent will notice a change in their child, whether they have got new clothes they can't afford or they are missing school.' If they can't be pulled back from the drugs underworld, the consequences can be fatal. As Gary points out: 'Many of the murders we see in towns like Luton are drug-related.' The lad who jumped out of the window was lucky - he might not be so fortunate next time. 24 Hours in Police Custody: Lost Boys, stream or watch live on Channel 4 from July 13 at 9pm. 12 Gavin kept going missing Credit: Channel 4 12 Drugs are ruining young lives Credit: Getty 12 Cannabis plants found during a raid in Luton Credit: Alamy
The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Teen girl's chilling social media posts before she was charged with double murder of mom & stepdad following eulogy
A TEENAGE girl accused of murdering her mum and stepdad shared haunting social media posts in the months after their deaths. Sarah Grace Patrick, 17, faces 12 Sarah Grace Patrick has been arrested and charged with murder Credit: Carroll County Sheriff's Office 12 Her chilling social media posts in the wake of her parents' deaths have been revealed Credit: TikTok 12 James, 47, and Kristin, 41, Brock were shot dead as they slept in their home Credit: Facebook 12 The teenager posted heartfelt messages and pleas online Credit: 11Alive She initially appeared to be a distraught teenager over social media, left heartbroken by her parents' The teen posted selfies of herself crying and even made pleas for justice for months after her She even Her social media is now being seen through a completely different lens after she was arrested and charged with the double read more us news One TikTok post from March just a month after her parents' killings shows pictures of her mum and stepdad, with emotional music and tearjerking text. The post reads: "They don't know it, but a year from now me and my 5-year-old sister would find them In the eerie caption she wrote: "I miss you guys, save a seat for me in heaven." Patrick was just 16 years old when Most read in The US Sun Cops say the teenager was in the house during the killings and called police after her then five-year-old sister Jaley discovered their corpses. Authorities also said there were no signs of forced entry and nothing appeared stolen. Girl, 17, hands herself into police over murder of mom and stepdad who were gunned down three months ago Another one of Patrick's TikToks showed the 17-year-old with tears down her face, messy mascara, and text reading: "Life's hard but at least I have my mom." The next picture slide then shows a picture of two urns next two pictures of Kristin and James captioned: "Mom?" Patrick also portrayed herself as crushed and grief-stricken over her younger sister's trauma from finding her parents' dead bodies. In another disturbing post, she wrote: "I can't help but hate myself because I didn't wake up to find them before my 5yo sister had to find her parents like that." Another read: "It hits me when I see my 5-year-old sister screaming for her mommy and daddy." Several of her videos involved In one post she wrote: "I don't know if she ever realized… that the person I most wanted to be was her." Unsettling selfies of Patrick appearing sorrowful and in tears over her mum's death were also posted for the public to see. 12 Social media post showing the teen crying Credit: TikTok 12 The teenager posted several images online following her parents' deaths Credit: TikTok 12 She clutched her mum's clothes in one post Credit: TikTok One photo showed the teen clutching her mum's clothes, seemingly crying into them, with the text: "Her T-shirt [heart emoji]." And in another haunting image, she appears to be choking back tears on the way to her parents' funeral. The text reads: "This can't be real. Otw (on the way) to my parents' funeral." The social media speculation over Patrick's behaviour took another sinister turn after a true crime influencer alleged that the teen reached out to them asking for help promoting coverage of the case. Content creator Allegedly Reportedly, who has over 120,000, posted screenshots allegedly showing Patrick asking the TikTok user to research the murder of her parents and share the story. Patrick's original social media account has since been deactivated - but the unsettling posts have resurfaced and sparked rampant speculation online. The teenager is being charged as an adult on two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault after turning herself in to police on Tuesday accompanied by her dad Doniel Patrick. Cops have not yet revealed a motive for the killings and say the investigation is still ongoing. 12 One post showed the teen saying at least she had her mum Credit: TikTok 12 The post cut to an image of two of her parents' urns Credit: TikTok 12 Another one of Patrick's posts grieving her late parents Credit: TikTok It comes after chilling footage resurfaced of Patrick's eulogy, showing the teen in a pale blue dress, standing before mourners at the lectern of the Catalyst Church in Carollton, Georgia. She said: 'I just wanted to say goodbye to my mom and James since we never got the chance to.' Patrick called her mother a 'beautiful kind soul' and told mourners she'd always be her 'sunshine'. Carroll County Sherriff's spokesperson Ashley Hulsey told 'Was that, 'I'm sorry because I may have done this,' or is it, 'I'm sorry because I was upset during this eulogy'? We may never know.' 12 Footage showed the teen giving a teary eulogy for her parents Credit: Facebook 12 Patrick, 17, now faces two counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault Credit: TikTok
