RATHANGAN, CO KILDARE – A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of his best friend in a vicious, unprovoked attack along the Grand Canal in 2020.
Robert Broughan of St. Patrick’s Park, Rathangan, bludgeoned 34-year-old Roy Hopkins to death with a baseball bat during what was supposed to be a peaceful fishing trip.
On the evening of July 31, 2020, Hopkins and Broughan set out for a fishing excursion along the Grand Canal near their hometown of Rathangan.
Witnesses described it as a “beautiful summer’s evening,” but the outing took a horrifying turn when Broughan suddenly attacked Hopkins with a baseball bat.
The court heard that Broughan struck Hopkins multiple times in the 7head, face, and throat, leaving him severely injured in the canal’s reeds. After the assault, Broughan fled the scene, later attempting to destroy the weapon by dousing it in petrol and discarding it.
In a chilling act, Broughan texted Hopkins’ phone after the attack, writing, “How’s the head?”
He later admitted to gardaí that had Hopkins responded, he would have returned to “finish him off.”
Broughan eventually confessed to his family, prompting his father to alert authorities. Upon arrest, he made a full admission, revealing that he had intended not only to kill Hopkins but also another individual. Despite describing Hopkins as a “gentleman” who treated him “like a son,” Broughan showed no remorse for his actions.
Hopkins, a beloved figure in Rathangan, was known for his kindness, humor, and passion for fishing.
He lived alone with his three dogs and had recently received a new fishing rod as a birthday gift.
His mother, Caitriona Hopkins, shared in a heartbreaking victim impact statement that her son had been “so proud” to use his new rod that evening.
Caitriona Hopkins delivered an emotional statement in court, describing the unbearable pain her family has endured since her son’s murder. “He died in horrendous and shocking circumstances,” she said.
“No punishment will compare to the pain, grief, and loss you have inflicted on us.”
She recounted how Broughan had “destroyed [her] trust in people” and left the family “living in hell on earth.” The grief, she said, is relentless: “The days are long and dreary, the nights are full of terror.”
Mr. Justice Tony Hunt, presiding over the case, acknowledged the profound impact of the crime on Hopkins’ loved ones.
“All I can say is it illustrates that terrible things happen to very good people,” he remarked.
While praising the humanity of those who tried to assist Hopkins after the attack, as well as the cooperation of Broughan’s own family, the judge emphasized the killer’s complete lack of remorse. Broughan, who was 25 at the time of the murder, received a mandatory life sentence.
The murder has left Rathangan reeling, with residents struggling to reconcile the senseless violence with Hopkins’ well-known kindness.
As the case concludes, his family and friends are left only with memories—and the haunting knowledge that his final moments were marked by betrayal and brutality.
Source: Original reporting by M10News; court records and garda statements.
