Man who killed 18-year-old Dundalk teenager has sentence reduced

The man who killed 18-year-old Niall Dorr in a prolonged and vicious assault in Dundalk four years ago has had his prison sentence reduced by the Court of Appeal.

Douglas Ward (38), of Loughantarve, Knockbridge, Co Louth, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Dorr on Castle Street, Dundalk on October 13th, 2010. This plea was accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

He was sentenced to 16 years' imprisonment with the final three suspended by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court on December 21st, 2012.

President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice Seán Ryan, who sat with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, said it was the Court of Appeal's view that the sentence of 16 years was excessive.

He said the trial judge had not taken sufficient account of the lack of pre-meditation, the absence of serious previous convictions and the very positive signs of Ward’s efforts to rehabilitate himself and deal with his addiction problems.

The court therefore set aside the sentence of 16 years with three suspended and imposed a new sentence of 13 years with three suspended.