The brother of Eugene Moloney has called the journalist's violent death 'senseless and unnecessary'.

The 55-year old was killed by a single blow to the neck which he received on Camden Street in Dublin while walking to his home in Portobello at around 4am on June 24th last year. He had been at a friend’s stag party in town.

CCTV footage shows him exchanging words with a young man, possibly after he was pushed, and then being struck around the head by another young man. As he fell to the ground his attacker Gary Burch said 'boom' and did a celebratory dance before walking away.

One eye-witness said the punch was 'a cheap shot..a rubbish punch, not overly powerful'.

The trainee mechanic from Kenningtown Close, Templeogue was arrested a day later. He admitted responsibility for the attack and told gardai it was ‘a moment of craziness’.

Having viewed the CCTV footage he called the images ‘horrible’ and said he was disgusted by what he had done. In garda interviews Burch said he had drunk ten bottles of beer and a couple of shots.

He said he had not tried to help Mr. Moloney on the ground because he did not realise how seriously he had been injured.

Defence barrister Mary Rose Gearty, SC, told the court that the 22-year-old is actively seeking to atone for his crime by going to prison. She said he was brought up in a caring, kind and happy family and has no previous convictions. Several character references were handed into court.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court also heard victim impact evidence from Eugene Moloney’s brother Sean and sister Roisin. Sean Moloney called his younger brother’s death 'senseless', and criticised ‘a society in which random violence is becoming the accepted norm’.

He said Eugene’s hero was Bob Dylan and he spoke of his love of sport, and travel, and said the world had lost ‘a man of substance’.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring has remanded Gary Burch in custody and will finalise sentencing in two weeks time.