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

A jobless 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 on 31 October, 2018.

The attack was described by a prosecutor as being “chillingly, carefully planned and thought-out” 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 that the defendant blamed Mr Djelal for 21-year-old Paddy’s murder in August 2000.

Mr Djelal, 38, was among those arrested but no-one was ever prosecuted over the killing, jurors were told.

Eighteen years later, Stephen O’Rourke became convinced that his brother’s killers were “messing with his head” and made contact with his 34-year-old sibling Jason, the court heard.

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 31 October, he armed himself with a knife and set off in search of Mr Djelal disguised as a labourer in a hi-vis jacket.

He found Mr Djelal chatting and laughing on his phone outside the children’s play area.

Over 26 seconds, the defendant stabbed Mr Djelal three times in the back.

The victim ran away, then stumbled and collapsed over the fence into the play area, screaming: “Help me, help me, he has got a knife.”

Stephen O’Rourke walked away smiling as if he had achieved his “Valhalla”, jurors were told.

Later, Jason O’Rourke, from Lewisham, south-east London, collected the killer’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, south London, declined to give evidence and claimed he acted in self-defence.

He was found guilty on the third day of jurors’ deliberations with a date for sentencing yet to be fixed.

(c) Sky News 2020: Man guilty of Halloween killing of former suspect in his brother’s unsolved murder