Jeweller Dermot O’Toole is remembered with a dedicated lane in Hastings
THE murder of jeweller Dermot O’Toole outraged Melbourne. Two years on a special space has been dedicated to his memory.
South East
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DERMOT O’Toole would be blushing in his little corner of heaven.
The Hastings jeweller was a vibrant man but also a shy one, says his widow Bridget.
“I think he would be blown away by all of this fuss,” Mrs O’Toole said. “He’s probably in a corner of heaven, blushing actually.”
But it’s not really that much fuss. The Western Port Chamber of Commerce and Industry simply wanted to honour a man who had been treasured by his community.
Mr O’Toole was murdered two years ago by a gutless killer high on ice. Gavin Perry, who burst into the couple’s jewellery shop, stabbed Mr O’Toole, 64, when he rushed to defend his wife of more than 40 years.
Working with local artists and volunteers, and with the support of the O’Toole family, the chamber successfully campaigned for a lane off High St to be named O’Toole Walk.
The lane is now adorned with a colourful rainbow, leprechauns and shamrock mural, a smiling leprechaun sculpture and a ‘glove seat’.
The O’Toole family and the chamber hope the lane will become a place for people to quietly reflect and appreciate loved ones.
The town has now remembered Mr O’Toole on two sad anniversaries. Shops decked their windows in green and people gathered at the lane to release green balloons.
Mrs O’Toole, who met her late husband in Dublin when they were six-years-old, says her four grandchildren — Jack, Phoebe, Maisie and Thomas — already love visiting “Grandad’s lane”.
“The people of this town have been so amazing,” she said. “The boys (sons Christian, Trent and Dale) are thrilled and the grandchildren are so excited about visiting it every week.”
Perry, who had a shocking criminal history and was on parole when he murdered Mr O’Toole, was sentenced to a non-parole period of 23 years. Mrs O’Toole and her three sons are now waiting to hear the result of an appeal against the leniency of the sentence.
“Dermot was always a happy man and wanted to help people out,” she said. “He would do things for free for people who were less fortunate.
“We never wanted to be rich, just happy. We were happy.”