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Dramatic scenes as Phoebe Prince's mother addresses the court

Tearful mother calls accused ex-boyfriend a predator

KATE HICKEY,

IrishCentral.com Editor

Published Wednesday, May 4, 2011, 12:55 PM

Updated Wednesday, May 4, 2011, 2:41 PM

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Sentenced: Sean Mulveyhill at an earlier court appearance

Phoebe Prince's mother finally spoke out about her heartbreak and called her daughter's ex-boyfriend, Sean Mulveyhill, a predator in court today.

She was speaking at the sentencing of two of those accused of bullying Phoebe Prince, who later committed suicide. The two were sentenced to 100 hours of community service.

Speaking at Mulveyhill's sentencing Ann O'Brien said her 15-year-old daughter had trusted him. She said "I can only imagine the pain she felt. Had I known the truth, I would have viewed his relationship with her as predatory.”

According to Prince's mother Mulveyhill, who was a popular football team captain at South Hadley High School had had a short relationship with Prince, who had just arrived at the school from County Clare.

Mulveyhill then dumped Prince telling her she was no longer his "problem". He also allegedly encouraged other students to bully Prince physically and verbally.

Having addressed the court, O'Brien, who now lives in County Clare, sat down wiping her tears away.

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Phoebe Prince’s family speak out on the first anniversary of the 15-year-old’s suicide - SEE VIDEO

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Kayla Narey, the second defendant broke down and apologized to Phoebe’s mother.

Mulveyhill (18) pleaded guilty to criminal harassment, a misdemeanor which is punishable by up to two and a half years in prison. Instead he was sentenced to 100 hours of community service with at-risk youth.

Assistant District Attorney David Sullivan also agreed to drop the charge of statutory rape as well as the felony charge of violation of civil rights. Judge Jeffery Kinder ordered the 18-year-old to earn a graduate equivalency diploma and barred him from profiting from the case.

Kayla Narey, was also sentenced to 100 hours of community service. However, unlike Mulveyhill, she broke down when the sentence was read.

She apologized to Prince in the courtroom, tearfully saying "I’m sorry for the unkind things I said about you. I am immensely ashamed of myself." Narey also said the taunts she made to Prince on January 14 2010, the day Prince committed suicide, were unforgivable.

Ashley Longe, Flannery Mullins and Sharon Velazquez are also expected to plead guilty to misdemeanors and receive reduced charges. They are scheduled to enter their guilty pleas tomorrow. The sixth South Hadley student accused with relation to Prince's suicide, Austin Renaud, is charged with statutory rape. His pre-trial conference will take place in July.

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elektros | May 05, 2011, 11:08 PM EDT

djones6 has a point. I don't know whether the total amount of community service is that crucial, but if they had added a large amount of time being forced to speak against bullying it might have had some positive outcome. Of course, that raises the question of how sincere they could or would be?

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adrienrain | May 05, 2011, 12:08 PM EDT

Our society's fixation with 'winners' and 'losers' creates these monsters. Who is a winner? Jocks, of course, and their hangers-on, or bullies, who separate themselves from the 'losers' by bullying them, thus creating 'losers.' Who is a loser? Anyone different. 'Political correctness' is not the strong suit of the bullies. These attitudes saturate our media and entertainments.

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adrienrain | May 05, 2011, 12:04 PM EDT

100 HOURS!! That's like, less than THREE work weeks! I smell corruption. I wonder what it cost.

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djones6 | May 05, 2011, 11:18 AM EDT

I definitely feel the punishment should have been harsher. 100 hours of comomunity service is nothing. I would have opted for 500 hours with at least 200 hours of having to speak at elementary and high schools about how wrong bullying is. That certainly would have more benefits in my view.

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jamieLM | May 05, 2011, 11:07 AM EDT

Insightful post, DaveWUS. This whole situation is a disgrace. I agree the behavior of these kids seem to reflect their parents' failure to teach them tolerance, compassion for others, and responsibility for their actions. The school officials are to blame for allowing the bullying to take place under their watch. Parents, school officials, and the kids are all at fault. Many are still in denial about their part in the bullying and the fueling of Phoebe's emotional distress which led her to suicide. You won't solve future problems if you don't or won't acknowledge your past mistakes, don't have sincere remorse, don't take responsiblity for your actions, and don't change your behaviors. I'd give just about everyone involved a failing grade.

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DaveWUS | May 05, 2011, 10:31 AM EDT

Here in Massachusetts this is no surprise. South Hadley is a failed industrial town that seems to be populated with parents that raise kids like this. We have many areas in our state that produce "punks"...most come from just West or South of Boston but in the middle of the state around Worcester and Springfield (Hadley is a suburb of Springfield) these struggling working class families sometimes respond to their hard times with hatred and intolerance. The kids learn it and we then have a bunch of "punks" as someone here called this guy. For me the issue is only resolved by looking at the parents that created these messes. American culture is such these days that an individual's struggles are seen as society's fault and they bear no responsibility for the results of their actions. Every time I read about bullying and they interview a parent, it is quite clear where the hate and tolerance for horrible behavior originate. What to do? Hold parents responsible? I'm not sure but just focusing on these poorly raised kids won't begin to solve the problem.

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Skibberrean | May 05, 2011, 10:13 AM EDT

This whole thing is disgraceful and an abomination. I feel so sorry for Mrs. OBrien and her family. So much for the American Justice System! This poor excuse for punishment just gives way to this sort of thing happening again and again.

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McNabb1966 | May 04, 2011, 08:21 PM EDT

Absolutely disgraceful. Even when "apologizing" Narey was downplaying her role and, in effect, giving the typical "I'm sorry if anybody was offended by my actions..." non-apology apology. So she was tearfully expressing regret for being "unkind?" She also expressed "regret" for laughing at Phoebe in the hallway. Really? And how the heck does the punk get out of statutory rape? Mulveyhill IS a predator and he will do it again, especially now that he's been given a slap on the wrist. Cowardly, incompetent prosecutors. Pathetic.

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shawnpcochran | May 04, 2011, 03:15 PM EDT

How long until they hurt someone elses kid? we already understand that they will recieve no rehabilitation in SH, so it will only be a matter of time. In fact if Sean used drugs to incapacitate Phoebe so he could get what he wanted it could be a sign of a much bigger problem. Makes you wonder what the football team is up too. These girls still like him after all this, what a bunch of losers.

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