A TEENAGER who was refused entry to a 21st birthday party in Ballymun three years ago has been jailed for six years for killing one of the guests.
Stephen Maughan (19), St Margaret’s Park, Ballymun, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court earlier this year to the manslaughter of James Donoghue (26).
On Monday, Det Sgt Michael Buckley told the court that Mr Donoghue was stabbed to death shortly after then 16-year-old Maughan and two of his friends were turned away from the party.
Mr Justice Paul Carney told the court the fact that Maughan armed himself with a knife and returned to the party “put a most serious complexion on matters”.
He also said that he had to balance that with the fact that Maughan was 16 at the time.
The court heard on Monday that the three teenagers had been drinking before making their way to the party at a house in the area.
After they were turned away, they threw at least one bottle into the garden and a number of guests chased them away. They caught up with Maughan and one of his friends and punched and kicked them severely.
The three teenagers went home and decided to arm themselves with a number of knives and a stick or baton before returning to the party, the court heard.
They went to a hill overlooking the house and garden where the party was being held and began shouting insults. A number of the party-goers, including Mr Donoghue, went out on to the hill, where Mr Donoghue received four stab injuries. One of these injuries was to the frontal region of the scalp and caused a skull fracture.
There was medical evidence that considerable force would have been needed to cause this injury.
Another of the stab wounds punctured the heart and severed a coronary artery and this was what killed Mr Donoghue.
Mr Justice Carney yesterday sentenced Maughan to six years, dating from October 7th, 2007.