Teenage lives out of control in sea of drugs and violence

There were no gasps of outrage or disbelief when the jury delivered a verdict of manslaughter against 21-year-old Kelly Noble in the Central Criminal Court yesterday.

Before lunch, the seven men and five women had found Noble guilty of unlawfully producing a knife in the course of a dispute or fight in a manner likely to intimidate or inflict serious injury.

Shortly after lunch, just 14 minutes after Judge Barry White had told the jury that he would accept a majority verdict, they were back.

At mid-morning, the father, siblings and friends - about 10 in all - of the 19-year-old victim, Emma McLoughlin, had filed in. Noble, by contrast, was noticeably alone for most of the trial, looking tired and older than her years with a broad swathe of blonde through her dark hair, occupying herself by making notes in a spiral pad and chewing sweets. The reaction to the verdict showed that there were no winners in the court.

Evidence in the trial, including children's testimonies via videolink, painted a picture of teenage lives out of control in a sea of drink, drugs and violence, of a world where binge drinking in a field seemed the pleasant option on a sunny summer's afternoon, and of a child predestined to self-destruct where early intervention might have saved her.

The McLoughlin family made it quietly known in recent days that they were unhappy at the portrayal of Emma during the trial as a violent, volatile young woman. But a former school principal in Laytown, Maurice Daly, described how he had given a written warning to the board of management in 1998, that pupils and staff were not safe when Emma was around. He was also anxious to point out that although the school had requested an assessment of Emma in 1996 when she was 10, it was not until three years later that she was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Her sister, Shona, told gardaí how her sister had kicked her unconscious and broken her jaw in a fight over a mobile phone. The court also heard of numerous dealings with the Garda over the years, as well as allegations of an assault on a 12-year-old neighbour and seven-year-old child.

Outstanding charges against Emma were due to be heard the month after her death. There were suggestions in court that she also bore the scars of violence on her own body. At just 19, she was already the mother of two children, both in care.

Sitting in the dock was her eventual killer, Kelly Noble, at 21 also the mother of two children, the older of whom was raised in the family home while Kelly's mother, Jacqui, was under investigation (with an accomplice) for the murder of Kelly's father, Derek Benson, in 2000.

When Jacqui Noble was jailed for life in February 2004, Kelly was just 18.

Now both Jacqui and Kelly Noble are in prison and carry the label of killers.

As Kelly was being taken back to prison yesterday afternoon, pending sentencing on May 14th , the McLoughlin family and friends stood in the Round Hall, courteous but saying little.

Asked during the trial was she remorseful, Kelly Noble said: "I have more than remorse. If I could turn back the clock, I wouldn't have gone to the shop."

As always, when a tragedy unfolds before the courts, the old questions present themselves. Who facilitates the supply of alcohol and drugs talked about by children in this trial? And what is the true level of violence behind closed doors in Irish families?