Latest news with #AaronKeating
BreakingNews.ie
7 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Teen who murdered man in front of shoppers and children is jailed
A teenager who stabbed a man to death on a sunny afternoon in front of shoppers and children using a knife he had bought for self-protection has been jailed for 13 years. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said the teen, who can't be named because he was a minor when he first came before the courts, murdered Aaron Keating (43) as an "angry aggressive youth acting in a drug rage". Advertisement Although he has pleaded guilty to murder, the youth is not subject to a mandatory life sentence due to his age at the time of the offence. Mr Justice McDermott said he had to take into account the defendant's age, lack of maturity and the need to rehabilitate young offenders. Therefore he sentenced the defendant to 15 years with the final two years suspended for two years on a number of conditions. The now 19-year-old was one month short of his 18th birthday when he murdered Mr Keating on June 13th, 2023 at Main Street, Ongar, Dublin 15. Mr Justice McDermott said it had been a sunny Tuesday afternoon when the defendant and a group of youths were hanging around Main St smoking cannabis. Mr Keating, who had mental health difficulties all his life, was a frequent visitor to the area and was known to all the youths. Advertisement CCTV footage CCTV footage showed an altercation between Mr Keating and the defendant which prompted the youth to run to a nearby stairwell where he had stashed a knife for self-protection. He returned within 90 seconds of the first altercation and pursued Mr Keating across the road despite one of his friends telling him to stop. The defendant attempted to stab Mr Keating but missed before he "made another lunge", the judge said, causing the fatal wound to the abdomen. A pathologist found the cause of death to be haemorrhage and shock due to the single stab wound. Mr Justice McDermott noted that the defendant attacked his victim openly, in a public place, presenting a "terrifying spectacle" to shoppers, including women and children. Advertisement The defendant fled the scene, disposed of the knife and made no attempt to assist the dying man, the judge said. Mr Keating was loved by his family, the judge said, and is deeply missed. His life was "needlessly and violently taken", he said. The judge said that the defendant had done well in primary school but by the age of 12, he began regularly using drugs. He had seen numerous doctors and therapists over the years but continued to abuse drugs. He said drug use had "a dominating role" in the murder and in causing a disintegration in the youth's education. Drug rehabilitation, he said, will be a factor in efforts to prevent the teenager reoffending. The defendant is currently considered at a high risk of reoffending if he were returned to a community setting within 12 months. Mr Justice McDermott set a headline sentence of 25 years but reduced that to 21 to account for the defendant's age. He further reduced the sentence to 15 years after considering mitigating factors including the teenager's guilty plea and his "early and consistent expression of remorse, which appears to be genuine and comprehensive". Advertisement When sentencing children, the Supreme Court has found that it is preferable to suspend part of the sentence to encourage rehabilitation. Mr Justice McDermott suspended the final two years on condition that the defendant keep the peace for two years after release, address his addiction needs with the probation services and accept any treatment recommended. He must also participate in a drug rehabilitation programme and any mental health services recommended by the probation services. Sentencing At a sentencing hearing last week, Det Gda Jenny Greene told prosecution senior counsel James Dwyer that the defendant was hanging around Ongar smoking cannabis with a group of teenagers from about 3pm that afternoon. He had a number of interactions with Mr Keating. At about 6pm, "something triggered a reaction" in Mr Keating, who pushed the youth up against a window. Advertisement The other youths who had been with the defendant encouraged Mr Keating to leave the area. He crossed the street but about 90 seconds after the previous interaction, the defendant appeared wearing his t-shirt over his head and face and carrying a knife. He ran towards Mr Keating and made "a number of attempts to stab him", inflicting one stab wound to the abdomen, Det Gda Greene said. Mr Keating collapsed within seconds and died from the injury. The defendant went to a garda station the following morning with his mother and admitted to what he had done. In subsequent interviews, he said he had been smoking cannabis and taking mushrooms when Mr Keating asked him for a joint. He said he laughed, refused to give him a joint and called Mr Keating a junkie. Ireland Pensioner blackmailed woman with sex pics recovere... Read More He claimed the deceased attacked him so he ran to get the knife so he could "get him before he gets me". He said he didn't want Mr Keating to die but wanted to scare him. "He was egging me on," he said. "I don't know what he said but he triggered me." The defendant entered his plea of guilty to murder following a Supreme Court ruling last year that, despite now reaching adulthood, he will not face a mandatory life sentence because he was a child when he committed the offence. The teen previously sought to halt the proceedings against him because, having aged out while awaiting trial, he faced a mandatory life sentence if convicted of murder. However, following a recent Supreme Court ruling, judges now have discretion when sentencing a person who committed murder while a child, regardless of what age they are when they come before the courts.
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- Irish Times
Teenager who fatally stabbed man in Dublin street jailed for 13 years for murder
A teenager who stabbed a man to death in Dublin in front of shoppers and children using a knife he had bought for self-protection has been jailed for 13 years. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said the teen, who cannot be named because he was a minor when he first came before the courts, murdered Aaron Keating (43) as an 'angry aggressive youth acting in a drug rage'. Although he pleaded guilty to murder, the youth is not subject to a mandatory life sentence due to his age at the time of the offence. Mr Justice McDermott said he had to take into account the defendant's age, lack of maturity and the need to rehabilitate young offenders. He sentenced him to 15 years with the final two years suspended for two years on a number of conditions. READ MORE The now 19-year-old was one month short of his 18th birthday when he murdered Mr Keating on June 13th, 2023 at Main Street, Ongar, Dublin 15. Mr Justice McDermott said it had been a sunny Tuesday afternoon when the defendant and a group of youths were hanging around Main Street smoking cannabis. Mr Keating, who had mental health difficulties all his life, was a frequent visitor to the area and was known to all the youths. CCTV footage showed an altercation between Mr Keating and the defendant which prompted the youth to run to a nearby stairwell where he had stashed a knife for self-protection. He returned within 90 seconds of the first altercation and pursued Mr Keating across the road despite one of his friends telling him to stop. The defendant attempted to stab Mr Keating but missed before he 'made another lunge', the judge said, causing the fatal wound to the abdomen. A pathologist found the cause of death to be haemorrhage and shock due to the single stab wound. Mr Justice McDermott noted that the defendant attacked his victim openly, in a public place, presenting a 'terrifying spectacle' to shoppers, including women and children. The defendant fled the scene, disposed of the knife and made no attempt to assist the dying man, the judge said. Mr Keating was loved by his family and is deeply missed, the judge said. His life was 'needlessly and violently taken', he said. The judge said drug use had 'a dominating role' in the murder and in causing a disintegration in the youth's education. Drug rehabilitation, he said, will be a factor in efforts to prevent the teenager reoffending. The defendant is currently considered at a high risk of reoffending if he were returned to a community setting within 12 months. Mr Justice McDermott set a headline sentence of 25 years but reduced that to 21 to account for the defendant's age. He further reduced the sentence to 15 years after considering mitigating factors including the teenager's guilty plea and his 'early and consistent expression of remorse, which appears to be genuine and comprehensive'. When sentencing children, the Supreme Court has found that it is preferable to suspend part of the sentence to encourage rehabilitation. Mr Justice McDermott suspended the final two years on condition that the defendant keep the peace for two years after release, address his addiction needs with the probation services and accept any treatment recommended. He must also participate in a drug rehabilitation programme and any mental health services recommended by the probation services. The defendant entered his plea of guilty to murder following a Supreme Court ruling last year that, despite now reaching adulthood, he will not face a mandatory life sentence because he was a child when he committed the offence. The teen previously sought to halt the proceedings against him because, having aged out while awaiting trial, he faced a mandatory life sentence if convicted of murder. However, following a recent Supreme Court ruling, judges now have discretion when sentencing a person who committed murder while a child, regardless of what age they are when they come before the courts.
Irish Times
30-06-2025
- Irish Times
Teenager murdered man with knife stashed behind bin on a busy street in suburban Dublin, court hears
A teenager who began taking drugs when he was 12 years old stabbed a man to death using a knife he kept hidden behind a bin near a busy main street, the Central Criminal Court heard on Monday. The court was told the defendant, who is not facing a mandatory life sentence because he was a child when he carried out the murder, is at 'high risk' of reoffending without support interventions. The now 19-year-old, who can't be identified because he was 17 when he first came before the courts, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court in March to murdering Aaron Keating (43) on June 13th, 2023 at Main Street, Ongar, Dublin 15. The deceased's sister Linda Keating told the sentencing hearing on Monday that Aaron was the baby of the family, 16 years her junior. READ MORE 'I never thought he would be gone before me,' she said. 'I never imagined anything like this would happen to our family. It's something that you read about or that happens to somebody else and not to us. The effect of this is huge on all of us.' She said she lives with the constant fear that 'something like this' could happen again. Another sister, Debbie Keating, said: 'Sometimes I forget for a second that he's gone, like when I'm telling a story about something that happened when we were children, but then the harsh reality hits that he isn't coming back.' John Keating, the deceased's brother, said the family's world was 'turned upside down by the horrible events' of that day. Det Garda Jenny Greene told prosecution senior counsel James Dwyer that the defendant was hanging around Ongar, smoking cannabis with a group of teenagers from about 3pm that afternoon. He had a number of interactions with Mr Keating, who had suffered mental health difficulties all his life. At about 6pm, 'something triggered a reaction' in Mr Keating, who pushed the youth up against a window. The defendant ran to a common area at the bottom of steps leading up to apartments where he had earlier stashed a knife behind a bin. In later garda interviews, the accused would say that he kept the knife there for his protection. He crossed the street but about 90 seconds after the previous interaction the defendant appeared wearing his T-shirt over his head and face and carrying a knife. He ran towards Mr Keating and made 'a number of attempts to stab him', inflicting one stab wound to the abdomen, Det Gda Greene said. Mr Keating collapsed within seconds and died from the injury. State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster found that the knife had cut the aorta, causing massive bleeding. The defendant went to a Garda station the following morning with his mother and admitted to what he had done. In subsequent interviews, he said he had been smoking cannabis and taking mushrooms when Mr Keating asked him for a joint. He said he laughed, refused to give him a joint and called Mr Keating a junkie. He claimed the deceased attacked him so he ran to get the knife so he could 'get him before he gets me'. Seamus Clarke SC, for the defendant, reminded the court that a recent Supreme Court ruling has stated that children should only receive life sentences for murder in exceptional cases. The evidence in this case, he said, was of an 'impulsive lashing out by a child'. Mr Clarke asked the judge to tailor a sentence to mark the seriousness of the offence and to offer the greatest chance for rehabilitation. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned sentencing to July 7th.
BreakingNews.ie
30-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Teen murdered man with knife he had stashed behind bin in Dublin, court hears
A teenager who began taking drugs when he was 12 years old stabbed a man to death using a knife he kept hidden behind a bin near a busy main street, the Central Criminal Court heard on Monday. The court was also told on Monday that the defendant, who is not facing a mandatory life sentence because he was a child when he carried out the murder, is at "high risk" of reoffending without support interventions. Advertisement The now 19-year-old, who cannot be identified because he was 17 when he first came before the courts, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court in March to murdering Aaron Keating (43) on June 13th, 2023 at Main Street, Ongar, Dublin 15. The deceased's sister Linda Keating told Monday's sentencing hearing that Aaron was the baby of the family, 16 years her junior. "I never thought he would be gone before me," she said. "I never imagined anything like this would happen to our family. It's something that you read about or that happens to somebody else and not to us. The effect of this is huge on all of us." She said she lives with the constant fear that "something like this" could happen again. She said: "There are the sleepless nights when you know your relatives are out and about, doing their thing. Advertisement "The fear when walking to your car at night. The sadness in your heart when certain music is playing, the films that you can't watch any more, constantly talking about the what ifs." Another sister, Debbie Keating, described Aaron as her "colourful brother and also my friend". She said: "Sometimes I forget for a second that he's gone, like when I'm telling a story about something that happened when we were children, but then the harsh reality hits that he isn't coming back." John Keating, the deceased's brother, said the family's world was "turned upside down by the horrible events" of that day, leaving them empty as they relive how he died. He described his brother as a "harmless soul who was liked by everyone who met him." Advertisement Det Gda Jenny Greene told prosecution senior counsel James Dwyer that the defendant was hanging around Ongar, smoking cannabis with a group of teenagers from about 3pm that afternoon. He had a number of interactions with Mr Keating, who had suffered mental health difficulties all his life. At about 6pm, "something triggered a reaction" in Mr Keating, who pushed the youth up against a window. The defendant ran to a common area at the bottom of steps leading up to apartments where he had earlier stashed a knife behind a bin. In later garda interviews, the accused would say that he kept the knife there for his protection. Advertisement The other youths who had been with the defendant encouraged Mr Keating to leave the area. He crossed the street but about 90 seconds after the previous interaction, the defendant appeared wearing his t-shirt over his head and face and carrying a knife. He ran towards Mr Keating and made "a number of attempts to stab him", inflicting one stab wound to the abdomen, Det Gda Greene said. Mr Keating collapsed within seconds and died from the injury. State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster found that the knife had cut the aorta, causing massive bleeding. Advertisement The defendant went to a garda station the following morning with his mother and admitted to what he had done. In subsequent interviews, he said he had been smoking cannabis and taking mushrooms when Mr Keating asked him for a joint. He said he laughed, refused to give him a joint and called Mr Keating a junkie. He claimed the deceased attacked him so he ran to get the knife so he could "get him before he gets me". He said he didn't want Mr Keating to die but wanted to scare him. "He was egging me on," he said. "I don't know what he said but he triggered me." Seamus Clarke SC, for the defendant, reminded the court that a recent Supreme Court ruling has stated that children should only receive life sentences for murder in exceptional cases. The evidence in this case, he said, was of an "impulsive lashing out by a child". The fatal encounter lasted just five seconds and the deceased suffered one stab wound that "unfortunately" severed his aorta, counsel said. He said his client had asked him to express his remorse and regret for what he did. The court heard the defendant had suffered a number of medical issues as a child that led to him disengaging from his education. He started using drugs aged 12 and in one report since going into custody, the defendant said he has taken a "litany of almost every drug you can think of apart from heroin," Mr Clarke said. A probation report shows that he has had disciplinary issues while in detention and he is at a high risk of reoffending without interventions. Ireland Microsoft making billions from alleged unlawful pr... Read More A probation officer set out conditions for any period of supervision that might be ordered by the court. Mr Clarke asked the judge to tailor a sentence to mark the seriousness of the offence and to offer the greatest chance for rehabilitation. "He will be released at some stage," Mr Clarke said. "I ask the court to put in place measures to assist him in moving forward and to benefit society." If he can turn his life around, "that will be of great significance not only to him but to society at large," Mr Clarke said. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned sentencing until July 7 next.
