Man to be sentenced this morning for murdering ex-girlfriend in Dublin

It has been four days since Eric Locke was found guilty of murder.

A man will be sentenced this morning for murdering his ex-girlfriend after luring her to a Dublin hotel in February 2014.

Eric Locke, who is from St. John’s Park East in Clondalkin, strangled Sonia Blount a month after she ended their relationship.

It has been four days since Locke was found guilty of murder. It took the jury just an hour and a half to reach a unanimous verdict.

He admitted luring Sonia Blount to the Plaza hotel in Tallaght and he admitted doing so through a Facebook profile he set up under the alias Shane Cully, but he denied her murder claiming he was suffering from a mental illness at the time.

The jury heard extensive psychiatric evidence from both sides.

His psychiatrist claimed he was suffering from a pervasive development disorder, but the prosecution expert found no evidence to back that up.

In the end, the jury did not believe him and dismissed his defence of diminished responsibility.

The Blount family will be given an opportunity to deliver a victim Impact statement this morning before Mr. Locke is handed the mandatory life sentence for murder.