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An unemployed man has been convicted of the Halloween revenge murder of a former suspect in the unsolved murder of his brother.
48-year-old Stephen O’Rourke repeatedly stabbed Rocky Djelal near a playground in Southwark Park in southeast London on October 31, 2018.
One prosecutor described the attack as “chilling, carefully planned and thought out” on the anniversary of the funeral of his murdered brother Paddy O’Rourke.
The defendant subsequently attempted to cover his tracks with the help of a third brother, Jason O’Rourke, alias Biggie, who later committed suicide, it is alleged.
The Old Bailey heard that the defendant blamed Mr. Djelal for the murder of Paddy, 21, in August 2000.
O’Rourke disguised himself as a worker with a high-visibility jacket
Djelal, 38, was among those arrested, but no one was prosecuted for the murder, jurors said.
Eighteen years later, Stephen O’Rourke became convinced that his brother’s killers were “playing with his head” and contacted his brother Jason, 34, the court heard.
He talked to his partner about the “puzzle fitting” and ready for “Valhalla”, a reference to Norse mythology and “the hall of the dead”.
The pair paddled over him, with Stephen O’Rourke accused of “running like Rambo wanting to kill everyone,” jurors heard.
On October 31, he armed himself with a knife and set out in search of Mr. Djelal disguised as a worker in a high-visibility jacket.
He found Mr. Djelal chatting and laughing on his phone outside the children’s play area.
For 26 seconds, the defendant stabbed Mr. Djelal three times in the back.
The victim escaped, tripped and collapsed over the fence into the playground, yelling, “Help me, help me, you have a knife.”
Stephen O’Rourke walked away smiling as if he had achieved his “Valhalla,” the jurors said.
Later, Jason O’Rourke, of Lewisham, southeast London, collected the killer’s bloody clothes and took them to the wash, the court heard.
The brothers were arrested and Jason O’Rourke took his own life while awaiting trial for helping a criminal.
Stephen O’Rourke of Southwark, South London, declined to testify, claiming that he was acting in self-defense.
He was found guilty on the third day of jury deliberations and a sentencing date has yet to be set.
