Dublin man found guilty of murder

Jason Larkin of Ravensdale Road, East Wall, Dublin had pleaded not guilty to the stabbing Mr Costello, also of East Wall, at 'The Plough' public house, Marlborough Street on July 4, 2002.

Imposing sentence, Mr Justice Barry White today said the only option available to him was a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

Mr Larkin stood motionless as the verdict was returned while his girlfriend and aunt wept openly at the back of court number four at the Central Criminal Court.

The family of Mr Costello held hands united in grief, crying as the sentence was read out. The aunt of the deceased today said: "Justice had been done."

Addressing the jury of eight men and four women, Mr Justice White told the jury "that they clearly deliberated in a most conscious and conscientious fashion. It is a verdict that I entirely agree upon".

Mr Justice White discharged the jury from service for the next 10 years.

During the six-day murder trial the court heard that Mr Larkin stabbed the victim after the pair had been involved in a slagging match or row after drinking in the Plough bar for several hours.

The court heard that the force used by Mr Larkin to stab the deceased was not necessary in the context of what was going on.

Mr Larkin said in his statement to the gardaí that "he was acting in self defence, saying 'I didn't mean to stab him, it was a collision'. This was no accident", Mr McCarthy, SC, for the prosecution said during the six-day murder trial.

After the deceased was stabbed, the jury heard during the murder trial that Mr Larkin allegedly fled the scene, withdrew money from an ATM machine and continued drinking in the Forum bar in the city centre before passing by the scene again in the early hours of July 5, 2002.

After the accused had been found guilty of murder today, Detective Inspector Walter O'Connell, at the request of Mr Justice White, told the court that on the night in question Mr Larkin assaulted a number of people after fleeing the scene of the crime.

The court today heard Detective Insp O'Connell read the statement of Ms Natasha Smith who was in the company of Mr Larkin after he had stabbed the deceased.

After an individual on O'Connell Street bumped into Ms Smith, Mr Larkin told Ms Smith to take the murder weapon because she wouldn't be searched by gardaí as she was a girl while he headbutted the individual.

After the assault, Mr Larkin walked with Ms Smith towards East Wall in the early hours of July 5, 2002.

When they were on West Road Mr Larkin said to Ms Smith that the car parked on the street belonged to the deceased's sister.

"There's yer man sister's car", Mr Larkin said to Ms Smith. He then dragged Ms Smith by the wrist over to the blue car and slashed the front tyre nearest the road.

"Now you have a clearer picture of Mr Larkin on the night in question. If any of you were having

any doubts, they have now been re-enforced", Mr Justice White said today.

Mr Justice White refused leave for an appeal.