A 16 year-old from Limerick has been sentenced to ten years in detention by the Central Criminal Court for the brutal murder of a man who knocked over his bottle of beer.
The defendant was drinking on the street with other boys when Patrick Coleman (34) passed by and knocked over the teenager’s drink. Mr Coleman was followed, stabbed in the neck with a broken bottle and left to bleed to death.
Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed a sentence of ten years detention on the 16-year-old who was not subject to the usual mandatory life sentence for murder because he was under 17 years.
Mr Justice Carney said, “I take account of the gratuitous and cruel nature of this killing which is quite appalling”.
He said he must give credit to the defendant’s plea of guilty to murder but said it was a “tactical” plea which was delivered on the basis that the court would finalise matters while the defendant was underage.
The defendant will turn 17 next month.
Mr Justice Carney also took into account the absence of previous convictions and legislative policy which required that rehabilitation be provided for.