Courts / Ireland / Report
21-year-old killer should have "listened to his mother" and stayed at home
Summary
Mr Justice Tony Hunt adjourned the sentencing of Blake Sweeney until November 11 at the Central Criminal Court. Sweeney, 21, was convicted in July of the manslaughter of Robert Elston, 33, who was stabbed to death in May 2018. The judge noted that Sweeney should have listened to his mother's advice to stay home after Elston set fire to a car in the Sweeney driveway. Evidence indicated Sweeney pursued Elston with a knife, while the jury found it reasonably possible Elston was armed with an axe, a factor that distinguished the charge from murder. Sweeney's counsel highlighted his early offer to plead guilty to manslaughter and his genuine remorse, noting his 22 previous District Court convictions were not aggravating. The judge stated he would consider the David Mahon case, where Mahon received a seven-year sentence for the 2013 manslaughter of Dean Fitzpatrick, as a comparable precedent. The matter was adjourned and not concluded.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 21-year-old killer should have "listened to his mother" and stayed at home. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- May 23, 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 23 Incident
- November 11 Adjournment
- 2019-10-14 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; He adjourned sentencing until November 11.
Convicted Person
Outcome: David Mahon, who was sentenced to seven years having been convicted of manslaughter for stabbing 23-year-old Dean Fitzpatrick to death in 2013.; He adjourned sentencing until November 11.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Fertha Drive
- Fertha Drive
Topics
Arson Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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