A 22 year-old man has been jailed for life for the murder of a man in Dublin following a row on the street last year.
Dane Pearse stabbed 26 year-old Mark Spellman in the street following a confrontation and was found guilty of murder by a jury of six men and six women following an eight day trial.
Members of the jury wept as Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed the mandatory sentence. He heard that Pearse, of Londonbridge Drive, Irishtown, Dublin, had six previous offences for public order, criminal damage and drugs offences.
Mr Spellman’s sister, Emma, read a statement to the court on behalf of her family. She said Mark had always
been a smiling, caring, happy and amazing person who would do anything for anyone. She said he had had high hopes and ambitions and was her inspiration.
Diarmaid McGuinness SC, defending, read a letter of apology from Pearse in which he accepted responsibility for causing Mr Spellman’s death. He said words could not describe how sorry he was and he would gladly change places with the deceased.
Detective Sergeant Barry Walsh agreed with Mr McGuinness that Pearse, a father of one, had attempted suicide following the killing and had to be stopped from injuring himself at the top of a building in October last year.
Pearse denied murdering Google employee Mr Spellman, from Dalkey, at Londonbridge Road, Irishtown on August 4th 2007. The jury spent just over two and a half hours deliberating before convicting him.
It had heard that Mr Spellman and two male friends were walking home after a work night out when Mr Spellman became involved with the accused who was heading home from the pub with his girlfriend. A confrontation took place and Pearse ran into his house and armed himself with a knife and baton as Mr Spellman continued his walk home.
Evidence was given that Pearse then ran around a corner waving the weapons and attacked Mr Spellman who was fatally stabbed in the chest and abdomen. Pearse told gardai that he had meant only to frighten the deceased.