Man guilty of Halloween revenge killing of former suspect in his own brother’s unsolved murder

Stephen O'Rourke court case
Stephen O’Rourke who has been found guilty at the Old Bailey in London of the Halloween revenge killing of a former suspect in his brother’s unsolved murder.
PA
Robert Dex @RobDexES15 December 2020
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A man has been found guilty of the Halloween revenge killing of a former suspect in his brother's unsolved murder

Stephen O'Rourke, 48, repeatedly stabbed Rocky Djelal near a children's playground in Southwark Park in south-east London in broad daylight on October 31, 2018. 

Prosecutor Allison Hunter QC said it was a "chillingly, carefully planned and thought-out savage attack" on the anniversary of his murdered brother Paddy O'Rourke's funeral.

 Afterwards, the defendant tried to cover his tracks with the help of a third brother, Jason O'Rourke, aka Biggie, who later killed himself, it was alleged. 

The Old Bailey heard the defendant blamed Mr Djelal for 21-year-old Paddy's murder in August 2000 .

The 38-year-old was among those arrested at the time but no-one was ever prosecuted over the killing and eighteen years later Stephen O’Rourke sought revenge.

He talked to his partner of the "puzzle falling into place" and being ready for "Valhalla", a reference to Nordic mythology and "the hall of the slain". 

The couple rowed over it, with Stephen O'Rourke accused of "running around like Rambo wanting to kill everyone", jurors heard. 

On October 31, he armed himself with a knife from his "grisly" home collection and set off in search of his prey disguised as a labourer in a hi-vis jacket.

Stephen O'Rourke court case
A hi-vis jacket found at the home of Stephen O’Rourke
PA

 He found Mr Djelal chatting and laughing on his phone outside the children's play area and stabbed him three times in the back.

The victim collapsed into the play area, screaming: “Help me, help me, he has got a knife” while Stephen O’Rourke walked away smiling.

As police arrived on the scene, Mr Djelal's distraught father came running over and shouted: "Where's my boy?" 

Later, Jason O'Rourke, from Lewisham, collected his brother’s bloodied clothes and took them to be washed, the court heard. 

The siblings were arrested and Jason O'Rourke took his own life while he was awaiting trial for assisting an offender. 

Stephen O'Rourke, of Southwark, declined to give evidence and claimed he acted in self-defence. He was found guilty on the third day of jurors' deliberations. 

Judge Angela Rafferty QC adjourned sentencing to a date to be fixed. 

Senior Crown Prosecutor Louise Attrill said it had been “a premeditated, targeted and brazen execution”.

She said: "Stephen O'Rourke knew his victim well. Their families had known each other all their lives. But O'Rourke believed that Mr Djelal was responsible for his younger brother's murder 18 years before. 

"That is why, on the anniversary of his brother's funeral, he took it upon himself to carry out what he believed was a revenge killing. 

"In his own words, he was ready to kill and ready for his own Valhalla."

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