A MAN who was found guilty of the manslaughter of a Traveller teenager in Ennis almost two years ago will be sentenced today. John McGovern (19), Ballyduff, Barefield, struck and killed Michael Doherty (14) of Ashline with a Swiss army knife on June 23rd, 2007.
McGovern, who was 17 at the time, was out celebrating the end of his Leaving Cert exams, when he responded to being punched by the teenage boxer outside Supermac’s on O’Connell Street. The court heard McGovern had also been assaulted by a different person after his Junior Cert results.
Supt John Scanlon told Mr Justice Paul Carney that McGovern told gardaí he drank about four cans of Dutch Gold in a park with some friends.
He later spent about an hour with a girl and her friends before walking them to Supermac’s, where Michael Doherty was standing with a few of his friends.
“There were three Travellers. One of them threatened me. Martin threatened me a few times,” he said, referring to the deceased. “I was trying to get everyone into Supermac’s.” He said it bothered him to be in the presence of Michael Doherty and his friends because he believed that three of them were fighters.
McGovern said he tried to push past the youth, but he hit him four times.
“I was kind of in shock,” he said. “I took out a knife and swung it at him. Then Martin [the deceased] came towards me and I swung again.” McGovern told gardaí he left as fast as he could.
“There were four of them. I thought I’d be beaten up pretty bad,” he explained.
He said he saw the youth take a few steps backwards and fall, but didn’t see him bleed. “I saw my own blood. I knew my nose was bleeding,” he said.
He thought he struck him in his lower torso or legs the second time as one of Michael’s friends was holding him back, and he had the knife in his left hand although he was right-handed.
He said he later checked the knife for blood, but it was clean.
However, when asked by gardaí if he stabbed him, he replied that he presumed so. He said he took out the knife only to scare the teenager, agreeing he would have been better to walk away.
“I’d already been punched and I was dazed, I didn’t put thought into it,” he said. “I only meant to hold the knife, but he went for me again.”
The victim’s mother, Nora Doherty, told the court she hoped no parent would have to go through what she and her husband had endured. She said theirs was always a happy home.
Carmel McGovern said her family wished to convey its deepest sympathy to the Doherty family along with the greatest regret that their son, John, should be involved.
Mr Justice Carney remanded McGovern in custody for sentencing today.