The Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed an appeal against a life sentence imposed on a Mountmellick youth who carried out the "callous and unprovoked" murder of another.
Darren Goodwin, Graigue, Mountmellick, Co Laois, was found guilty in the Central Criminal Court last July of murdering Darragh Conroy (14), Brian Lane, Mountmellick, in November 2003.
When sentencing Goodwin to life, Mr Justice Barry White had said he could come back before the court on the 10th anniversary of his trial for review of sentence.
Ruling on Goodwin's appeal, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice John Murray, with Mr Justice Philip O'Sullivan and Mr Justice Seán O'Leary, said the court was satisfied, having regard to the callous and unprovoked nature of the murder and the disposition of Goodwin at the time of the sentencing, that Mr Justice White was correct in imposing a life sentence subject to review in 2014.
The approach adopted would enable the court to review the length of the sentence having regard to matters such as rehabilitation, Mr Justice Murray added.
The trial was told Goodwin was 15-years-old at the time and had lured Darragh Conroy to the banks of the river and had struck him over the head with a hammer about seven times, causing extensive damage to the skull and underlying brain injury.
Mr Justice Murray said there was no apparent motive and Goodwin had never claimed he was motivated by any animosity. At one time, he had referred to Darragh as being "the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time".