A Dublin man has been jailed for ten years for the manslaughter of 19-year-old Brian Mulvaney who was attacked and beaten to death in a south Dublin suburb three-and-a-half years ago.
At the Central Criminal Court Stephen Aherne (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 also received a three-year concurrent jail sentence for two separate assaults, one involving a broken pint glass, in the hours preceding the fatal attack on Mr Mulvaney.
Two months after a jury convicted him of Mr Mulvaney's manslaughter Aherne pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a man 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 a second man at Templeogue Road on the same date.
The deceased's father Mr Larry Mulvaney broke down as he told the court that when his son Brian died "part of us died with him".
Brian Mulvaney from Firhouse died from the inhalation of blood due to the suppression of his cough reflex, which in turn was caused by concussion as a result of head injuries. His partially clothed body was discovered lying in the middle of the road at the Watercourse in Orwell Estate.
Imposing sentence, Mr Justice Barry White referred to the "senseless and violent" nature of the attack, which Aherne took part in when aged just 15 years.
"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.
He added that taking account of Aherne's "tender years" and other mitigating factors he had reduced a heavier sentence to a ten-year prison term.
Mr Justice White noted that alcohol had "in some way" influenced Aherne's behaviour on the night in question.
Aherne told gardai he was served ten pints of beer and asambuca at a 21st birthday party in Terenure.
Aherne read a statement to the court apologising to the victim's family. "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 Mulvaneys," he said.
A second man, Brian Willoughby (24) is already serving a life sentence for Mr Mulvaney's murder following his conviction by a jury in April. A third man, Neal Barbour, (20) of Domville Road, Templeogue was acquitted but faces further charges in relation to alleged assaults on the night of March 11, 2000.