Man extradited from US charged with manslaughter of ‘gentle giant’ Irishman Desmond O’Beirne
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Man extradited from US charged with manslaughter of ‘gentle giant’ Irishman Desmond O’Beirne

A SECOND man has been charged with the manslaughter of 51-year-old Irishman Desmond O’Beirne, who died following an assault in central London in 2017.

Lucas Antunes, 21, of no fixed abode, was charged with manslaughter on Thursday after he was extradited from the US back to Britain.

He will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Last month Luis Abella, 22, of Marshall Court, SW4, was charged with manslaughter in relation to the incident.

The trial date is yet to be set.

Desmond O'Beirne, 51, lived in Westminster but was of Irish descent (Image: Met Police)

Mr O’Beirne, 51, who was described as a ‘gentle giant’, was assaulted in Trafalgar Square on June 3, 2017 while enjoying night out.

CCTV footage released as part of the investigation showed him fall to the ground after a punch to the head by one assailant, before a second man kicked the prone victim.

He was rushed to hospital but never regained consciousness, passing away six months later.

A post-mortem examination found that Mr O’Beirne, who lived in Westminster but was of Irish descent, died from a head injury.

Mr O’Beirne’s sister, Vivienne Folan, previously paid tribute to him, saying: “My brother Desmond was hard working and larger than life.”