Dublin man gets 14 years for manslaughter

The mother of a young electronic technician who was fatally stabbed outside a house in Dublin has promised her son’s death will not be in vain.

Mrs Sheila Guy pledged to help other victims of crime as she saw her son’s killer Stephen Kelly sentenced to 14 years imprisonment for his manslaughter.

Last December a jury found Stephen Kelly (aged 22) of Westpark, Artane, Dublin guilty of the manslaughter of Mr Jonathan Guy (aged 21) of Belcamp Crescent, Priorswood.

Mr Guy spent a week in Beaumont Hospital after suffering a stab wound to the chest outside a house at Newgrove Estate, Donaghmede, Dublin in March 2001.

His condition deteriorated and he died as a result of his injuries on March 11.

At the Central Criminal Court today the victim’s mother said the sentence showed that there was some justice, but it would not bring her son back.

"He didn’t deserve to die, I think that it will be a safer place for young people when he (Kelly) is off the streets," she said.

She said that she intends to work with Victim Support so that others can benefit from the experience she and her family have endured.

"It’s such a loss, but his death will not be in vain," she said.

Sentencing Kelly, Mr Justice Barry White spoke of the "total lack of regard for our value placed on human life".

"Far too many are seen all too readily to resort to knives or other sharp instruments to settle conflicts," he said.

The judge said deterrent sentences were necessary to "call a halt" to this kind of conduct. In passing down the 14-year sentence on Kelly, Mr Justice White said he had taken into account a number of mitigating factors including that Kelly had no previous convictions and had shown remorse for his actions.

Mrs Guy also addressed the court and said that no matter what sentence was passed it would not bring Jonathan back.

"But maybe it will give some consolation and it might put fear into the heart of any man out there who chose to take a weapon and stick it into an unarmed man," she said.

During the 13-day trial in December the court heard that Mr Guy was "in the wrong place at the wrong time".

He was struck once by Kelly in the chest as he stood outside a house party.

Although Kelly first told gardaí that Mr Guy had struck him, he later admitted that he did not and was, in fact, unarmed.