Man jailed for life for killing of Dublin schoolgirl

A Dublin teenager has been jailed for life for murdering and raping 12-year-old Michaela Davis in west Dublin last year.

Jonathan Byrne (aged 19), of Lohunda Downs, Clonsilla, pleaded guilty to murdering and raping the schoolgirl twice on August 28, 2010 at St Mocha’s playing fields on Porterstown Road, Clonsilla. The child’s body was found later that day on a bank of the Royal Canal.

Detective Sergeant Dan O’Callaghan told the Central Criminal Court today that Friday August 27 last year was Michaela’s first day in secondary school. Her Dad said she was happy when he saw her at home afterwards.

Michaela was still wearing her new school uniform when she left home at 9.30pm to meet friends. She was home by 11pm as agreed and was allowed out for another half hour when she asked.

She returned home at 11.30pm and begged to be allowed out for another 15 minutes. Her mother reluctantly allowed her. Michaela never returned and was reported missing around 2am.

Her parents told gardaí that she had been in a relationship with Byrne, who was jealous and texted her a lot. Her mother suspected he might be giving her alcohol.

Her parents had thought he was 14 and instructed her to end the relationship when they learned that he was 18. She did this, but told her parents that he had been reluctant.

Mr Davis said he had seen Byrne hanging around their home again weeks before the murder and told him to go home.

At 3.45am, gardaí went to Byrne’s home, where his mother woke him. They noticed scratches on his forearms.

He didn’t want to speak in front of his parents and invited the gardaí into his bedroom. He said he was an alcoholic and had self-harmed and this is why he had scratches on his arms.

He said he had seen Michaela that night but had left her at 10pm. He said he had just discovered she was only 12.

He suggested they speak to the boy she had dated before him. They did but learned that this boy hadn’t been in the area that week.

Gardaí returned to Byrne’s house the next day, where he was again asleep. He kept to his story and his parents confirmed that he’d been out but returned home after 2.30am.

Both Byrne’s friends and colleagues told gardaí he did know how old Michaela was. His friends also said he hadn’t been that drunk when they last saw him at 11.20pm.

A walker found Michaela’s body the following afternoon near the canal next to St Mochta’s playing field. She was pronounced dead half an hour later and her father identified her body.

She had died of asphyxia due to strangulation. State Pathologist Marie Cassidy suspected it would have been manual and quick. A relative of Michaela sobbed in court while details of her extensive, severe and significant rape injuries were read out.

A blood-stained shirt and Michaela’s mobile phone were found near her body and these led gardaí back to Byrne.

His DNA was found on Michaela’s rape injuries as well on a t-shirt found near her body. Her blood was found on Byrne’s jeans.

Byrne’s father spoke to his son.

“I was pissed. There was a row,” said the defendant. “I can’t remember much.”

Mr Byrne Snr took his son to the garda station, where he admitted he’d been in a fight with Michaela.

He said he’d broken it off when he found out she was 12, she took it badly and continued to text him.

He said he was drunk that night and texted her to sort out the break-up. He said they met and he told her it was over, they fought and he hit her on the head. He claimed he walked away, leaving her alive.

When his father left the room, he told gardaí he "hit her a few slaps and strangled her" in the field.

Later he said he’d been very drunk, they’d had a fight, that he’d raped her, beaten her and strangled her.

He said he then dragged her body around the field, before dumping her body in the undergrowth.

He said he dropped her body a few times when carrying it, and suggested this might explain her head injuries.

He said he washed his clothes before he went home, drank whiskey and cut his arm with a blade.

Detective Inspector Colin Fox read a victim impact statement prepared by Michaela’s parents.

They said they could not make a statement that would convey their loss and prayed that no other parents would have to go through their pain.

They described their daughter as being a caring human being, who was full of love. They said she would often care for stray animals as well as people.

“She’s now not here for those who need her,” they said.

Mr Justice Paul Carney handed Byrne the mandatory life sentence for murder. He also imposed two 15-year sentences for the rape charges and declared him a sex offender. All sentences will run concurrently.

“Michaela, as of today, will receive the justice she so deserves for the pain and suffering that she endured during the last moments of her young life,” her family said in a statement issued afterwards.

“The pain of losing our Michaela will never go away, nor will the love that she left behind,” continued the statement.

“Justice will be done and lives will have to be rebuilt, and this includes the Byrne family,” they added.

Michaela’s father, Brendan Davis, said the family was happy with the sentence that had been passed.