Dublin man jailed for 10 years for manslaughter

A Dublin man has been jailed for 10 years for the manslaughter of 19 year-old Brian Mulvaney, who was beaten to death in a south Dublin suburb in March 2000.

A Dublin man has been jailed for 10 years for the manslaughter of 19 year-old Brian Mulvaney, who was beaten to death in a south Dublin suburb in March 2000.

At the Central Criminal Court today, Stephen Aherne, aged 19, formerly of Willington Crescent, Templeogue and with an address at College Farm Park, Newbridge, Co Kildare was jailed for 10 years for his part in Mr Mulvaney’s death in Templeogue on March 11, 2000.

He was also jailed for a concurrent three year-sentence for two separate assaults on two other individuals in the hours before Mr Mulvaney was set upon and beaten to death.

The deceased’s father Larry Mulvaney broke down as he told the court that when his son Brian died "part of us died with him".

Mr Mulvaney recalled that his son’s head injuries were so bad that he could only identify him by his shoes and hands.

"The system that we live in there has to be a line in the sand to show that if you cross it, this is what’s going to happen to you," he said.

"How someone could leave someone else to die at the side of the road and not even make a phonecall…that’s pretty hard," he said.

His wife Annie and Brian’s sister Aoife, aged 19, were also in court to hear sentencing passed.

Imposing sentence, Mr Justice Barry White referred to the three attacks as "senseless and violent" and said "the most savage of which had fatal consequences for Brian Mulvaney".

"A halt must be called to gratuitous violence in our society and a loud and clear message must go out from these courts that it will not be tolerated," he said.

However, he said justice must be tempered with mercy and taking account of Aherne’s "tender years" and previous good character he imposed a 10-year prison term.

In June Ahern pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Matthew O’Dowd at Templeogue Road, Terenure on 11 March 2000.

He also pleaded guilty to an assault in which he produced a drinking glass in a manner likely to intimidate Karl Dunne at Templeogue Road on the same date.

Mr Justice White referred to the effect of alcohol on Aherne’s behaviour on the night in question. Det Sgt Joe Molloy gave evidence that Aherne told gardai he was served 10 pints of beer and a ‘sambuca’ at a 21st birthday party in the CYM in Terenure on the night in question.

"The holders of licenses, publicans and their staff have a responsibility… I don’t say this excuses your conduct but this matter should be on their conscience for the rest of their lives," he said.

Aherne read a statement to the court apologising to the victim’s family for the "horror and disgust" of his actions.

"I cannot un-do what happened, I wish I could," he said. "I’m sorry for the part I played in the death of Brian Mulvaney and the pain I’ve brought my family and to the Mulvaney’s," he said.

A second man Brian Willoughby is already serving a life sentence for Mr Mulvaney’s murder following his conviction after a trial in April last.

A third man was acquitted but faces further charges in relation to separate assaults on the night of March 11, 2000.

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