Steven O’Brien will not face homicide charges after Danny McGee’s death
Steven O’Brien will not face murder charges after fatally punching John ‘Danny’ McGee in Sunnyside, Queens last week.
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O’Brien, 25, has been charged with third-degree assault according to The Daily News. Friends of O’Brien came together to post the $25,000 bail for the Dublin native.
The Daily News also reports that a source said O’Brien is not facing homicide charges as “it became clear that O’Brien had no intention of killing his younger victim.”
During the early hours of Thanksgiving, O’Brien and McGee got into an argument at The Gaslight pub in Queens. The fight was taken outside where O’Brien delivered a fatal punch to McGee before fleeing the scene.
The following day, O’Brien turned himself into police.
“While this is a tragic event, Mr. O'Brien denies all wrongdoing and is not guilty,” said his lawyer, Matthew Gartenberg.
If convicted, O’Brien could face up to a year in New York City’s Riker Island prison.
An unnamed friend said that O’Brien is a “nervous wreck.”
Read More: Hundreds gather for service for young emigrant killed outside Queens bar
“He’s a f---ing puppy dog. Dealing with the aftermath is going to be hard for him,” the friend said.
On Saturday, hundreds turned out for a memorial service at St. Sebastian’s Church in Woodside, Queens. McGee had been born in the US but grew up in Longford. He had been back living and working in New York for over a year before his death.
O'Brien has a court date set for January 4.
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