Lodger charged with murder of activist

A 34-year-old Sicilian man has been charged with the murder of a well-known Catholic pro-life activist in Ireland, writes Sarah Mac Donald.

Police were called to the home of 39-year-old Tom O’Gorman in Castleknock in Dublin in the early hours of Sunday morning.

There they discovered the body of Mr O’Gorman, who had been bludgeoned and stabbed to death before being horrifically mutilated.

They arrested Saverio Bellante at the scene, and he admitted to killing Mr O’Gorman in a dispute over a chess game. He had recently become a lodger at Mr O’Gorman’s home to help him supplement his income.

A former journalist, Mr O’Gorman had worked with the short-lived Catholic ­newspaper The Voice Today and also ­contributed to the online news service www.catholicireland.net.

In recent years, he had been working full- time as a researcher for the think tank the Iona Institute. The news of his death and the brutal manner of his killing was greeted with huge grief within Catholic circles in Ireland where Mr O’Gorman was highly regarded.

A committed pro-life supporter, he was involved in the campaign to oppose the introduction of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act. He was also a member of the Focolare movement and a minister of the Eucharist in his local parish.

In a statement, the religious affairs ­commentator, David Quinn, who is the ­director of the Iona Institute said: “We are all still processing and trying to absorb the death of Tom and the enormity of what happened to him. The circumstances of his death defy description.” Mr O’Gorman was pre­deceased by both of his parents. He is survived by a sister who lives in Britain and a brother who lives in Co. Donegal.

A memorial prayer vigil, organised by the Pro Life Campaign, was held at the Carmelite Church in Clarendon Street, Dublin, on Tuesday evening.