February 1, 2010
Man Pleads Guilty To Murder
A man charged with the murder of a 57-year-old man in Luton in August last year has pleaded guilty at Luton Crown Court this morning (Feb 1, 2010).
Clifford Nicholson, date of birth 08 02 1966, of no fixed abode, was also sentenced by His Honour Judge Foster to a life term with the recommendation that he shall serve a minimum of 14 1/2 years term of imprisonment.
Patrick McDonnell, aged 57, died of multiple stab wounds to his chest at his home in Dorset Court, Kingsland Road, Luton on August 6, 2009.
Patrick came to live in Luton from Ireland in the 90s to work as a JCB driver and had a large extended family who were left devastated by what happened. Shortly after hearing of Patrick’s death his two daughters, who have both asked not to be named, described their father as a kind and generous man who will be sadly missed by everyone.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Sean O’Neil, of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “Patrick McDonnell was a quiet, peaceful man that offered a homeless man a spare bed. Within hours that person repaid this act of generosity with violence. Nicholson has a long history of drug abuse and mental disorder. However, he was assessed as being responsible for his actions and he accepts he is responsible with his plea of guilty to murder.”
He added: “When anyone is killed it always causes extreme distressed to their loved ones. Patrick’s family has been left devastated by what has happened and have chosen to deal with their grief in private. Whilst we acknowledge that the public have a right to know what has happened with this investigation we hope that people will respect this families privacy in this matter.”
