SAN DIEGO — Karen Kelly fought back tears in the downtown courthouse Tuesday as she talked about her dad, local veterinarian Dr. Clark Kelly.
“My father was my hero,” she said. “I loved him more than anything in the world.”
Dr. Clark died June 15, 2022 from a heart attack during a burglary attempt at his clinic in Rolando.
Patrick O'Brien admitted to the break-in. The 39 year old, who was living on the streets at the time of the crime, was spotted by Dr. Kelly.
The veterinarian called 911 and then collapsed and died.
“You committed a horrific crime, and you killed a peaceful, loving man who dedicated his life to helping others,” Karen said. “Your life sadly is devoted to drugs, crime, and inflicting pain and harm to others.”
The medical examiner's office classified Dr. Kelly's death as a homicide — saying he would not have died that day if he wasn't under so much stress from the break-in. O'Brien was originally charged with murder, but under a deal, he pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
His attorney, Peter Will, said O'Brien never actually touched Dr. Kelly, who had a long history of heart problems.
“Mr. Kelly was 88 years old,” Will said. “He was actively suffering from heart and other ailments that continuously imposed a significant risk of death any moment.”
O'Brien, who has been in jail since his arrest in 2022, was sentenced to 657 days in jail. He’s eligible to be released on April 2 and then will spend another two years under mandatory supervision with GPS tracking.
Dr. Kelly's family made it clear that they are not pleased with the sentence. While addressing the court, Karen said to O’Brien, “You are now free to walk and live and breathe, and my dad is dead and cold, and our lives will never be the same.”
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