Tragic twins aged 9 stabbed 40 times each by older brother who then took his own life

Twin boys Patrick and Thomas O'Driscoll were stabbed 40 times each by their brother who then took his own life, an inquest heard.

Shocking details emerged at the Cork Coroner's Court into the deaths of 21-year-old Jonathan O'Driscoll and Patrick and Thomas, both nine, last September.

Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis, confirmed at the hearing that the twins had been stabbed more than 40 times each.
One stab penetrated one of the twins to a depth of 7cm while another involved the knife going right through one of the boy's arms.

Helen and her husband Thomas had travelled to Waterford on September 4 to buy the twin boys a handmade miniature wagon.

They had been collected from school by adopted brother Jonathan who brought them to a local park before knifing them to death.
Jonathan, who was on bail for a knife offence at the time, was described as a private young man.

Adopted when he was a youngster, he had been struggling with not knowing who his biological parents were.

Speaking today after the inquest, mum Helen encouraged anybody with mental health problems to seek help.

She said: "Well if I had one message, I would give that message out to all the little children, boys and girls ... adults that are out there suffering with depression and sickness..don't wait for their parents to be sick and broken hearted like us, go and find help.
"No matter what phone you pick up, no matter what friend you tell, there's somebody out there who will listen to you."

When asked if she now had some closure after the inquest, she answered: "I suppose it's a step more for us to get on with life, at least now we know what rightly happened and we know there's no one really to blame really, only the good god up there that wanted them."