Two men found guilty of murder of Josip Strok in Dublin last year

Ryan Dunne

Two men have been found guilty of the murder of Croatian national Josip Strok on a Dublin street last year.

At the Central Criminal Court on Thursday, Mark Lee (44) and Anthony Delappe (19) were found guilty by a majority verdict of 11–1 of the murder of Mr Strok (31).

Lee, of no fixed abode, and Delappe, of Melrose Avenue, Clondalkin, had both pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Strok.

Connor Rafferty (21), of Castlegrange Close, Clondalkin, had pleaded not guilty to Mr Strok's murder. The jury returned a not guilty verdict in respect of the murder charge against Mr Rafferty.

All three pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Strok's friend, David Druzinec (29), at the same location.

The jury heard that on March 30th, 2024, Mark Lee was told of an alleged assault on a teenage boy at a bus stop near his home in Clondalkin and alerted the two other accused.

The prosecution said that Delappe and Lee then followed Mr Strok and Mr Druzinec and assaulted them in the street.

Mr Strok died four days later from blunt force injuries sustained in the attack.

Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the jury that Lee had used his feet and fists to kick, stamp and punch Mr Strok.

Delappe, he said, had used "brutal" force in repeatedly striking Mr Strok with a hard plastic pickaxe handle.

Mr Rafferty, he said, joined in by striking Mr Strok three times with one half of a crutch after Mr Strok had stopped moving.

In his garda interviews, Mr Rafferty described giving Mr Strok two or three "light smacks on the back".

After the jury delivered their verdicts, Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring told the six men and six women they were excused from jury duty for the next nine years.

She said the jury had performed “a hard job, a thankless job,” adding that she was grateful for their attendance in court over the last number of weeks of the trial.

Lee and Delappe were remanded in custody to November 17th next for sentencing.

Mr Rafferty was remanded on bail to appear on the same date.