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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Darragh Berry

One boy and four men jailed over robbery and murder of Irishman Thomas Kennedy in Georgia

One boy and four men have been jailed for their involvement in the robbery and murder of west of Ireland man Tom Kennedy.

Thomas Kennedy, 28, was brutally killed after getting into a physical confrontation between the five citizens in the Georgian town of Gori in October 2021.

Four of those involved were given 20-year sentences each, while a minor was also jailed for six years for failing to report the crime.

Read More: Family 'heartbroken' ahead of funeral for Irishman killed in 'robbery gone wrong' in Georgia

The Mayo man arrived in Georgia on August 30 and was a student at a local music college in the area.

Police said that the gang of five were drinking in the city with Thomas at a bar but later a verbal dispute broke out which led to a fight between the group and Thomas.

The young victim was attacked by the group who took his mobile phone out of his pocket and then threw his unconscious body into the nearby Mtkvari River in Gori.

Police discovered Thomas' body on October 8 and also found that his mobile phone had been sold to a pawnshop several days later after his murder for less than €100.

Tom was a singer-songwriter who busked in cities across the world and could often be seen in the streets of Galway, Cork and elsewhere and had travelled to Georgia at the end of August.

His cousin Olivia Barrett from Claremorris told Midwest Radio News in October just days after his death that Tom was a gentle, kind person who loved to travel.

She said: "Tom was the most precious soul you could ever meet. He was gentle, he was kind, he was funny and he always loved the idea of travelling.

"He loved climbing mountains, he loved seeing beautiful views and he loved history. Tom was my beautiful cousin and we're so hurt by his death. He'd be dancing and singing in heaven and he'll be so, so proud that his music is finally being listened to."

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