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Listen: Frank Greaney on the sentencing of Dean Kerrie in Dunmore East manslaughter trial

Listen: Frank Greaney on the sentencing of Dean Kerrie in Dunmore East manslaughter trial
Jordan Norris
Jordan Norris

A young man, who was just 17 when he stabbed a local fisherman to death in County Waterford, has been jailed for three-and-a-half years for his manslaughter.

Dean Kerrie stood trial for Jack Power's murder, but the jury accepted he was acting in self-defence after Mr Power entered his home in Dunmore East, County Waterford.

Dean Kerrie claimed Jack Power forced his way into his home in in the early hours of July 26th 2018.

Mr. Power had been drinking all day and the jury heard evidence that he became convinced that Dean had damaged the wing mirror of his car.

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Dean claimed he attacked him and his mother after kicking in their front door.

He said he was acting in self-defence when he stabbed him in the chest with a kitchen knife.

Following a retrial over the summer, he was acquitted of the murder charge, which suggests the jurors believed he was acting in self-defence, but convicted him of manslaughter, which suggests they believed the force used was excessive.

One of the biggest mitigating factors in his case was his age at the time. Dean Kerrie was just 17 years old and the judge also accepted he was genuinely sorry for what he did.

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He was jailed for 3.5 years yesterday.

Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney has covered the case extensively on NewsTalk, and he joined Damien Tiernan on Deise Today this morning.

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