SENTENCE ADJOURNED IN ARRANMORE MANSLAUGHTER CASE

March 12, 2012

A man who killed a teenager in a bar on a remote island off the Donegal coast has had his sentence hearing adjourned for over two weeks.

Last month a Central Criminal Court jury found Stephen Boyle (aged 41) not guilty of the murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Paul Boyle (aged 19) at Early’s Bar, Leabgarrow, Arranmore on October 3, 2009.

Stephen Boyle, of Austen House, Cambridge Road, Kilburn Park in London had denied murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

The court heard that the father-of-one stabbed Paul Boyle in the neck with a glass after a row involving a number of people at around 2.30am on the night in question.

Paul Boyle, who had celebrated his 19th birthday just three weeks earlier, was brought to the mainland by lifeboat but he died in Letterkenny Hospital at 10.20am on October 3.

Prosecution counsel Mr Paul O’ Higgins SC told the court that Arranmore has a population of 522 people and the killing had caused “immense shock and sadness on the island”.

During the trial, assistant State Pathologist Dr Khalid Jabbar told the jury that Paul Boyle died from associated blood loss and trauma caused by sharp force trauma.

Dr Jabbar told the court there was trauma to the left side of the neck, which was caused by sharp force trauma, and that Paul Boyle lost 60% of his blood.

Counsel for the defendant, Mr Michael O’Higgins SC, this morning asked the court to defer imposing sentence to allow for the compilation of an updated psychiatric report.

A victim impact statement by members of Paul Boyle’s family was handed in to the court but was not read in to evidence.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded Stephen Boyle in custody and said he would adjourn the hearing until March 29 next.


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