2014-05-19 · Wicklow
Man appeals murder conviction on grounds he stabbed shop owner in self-defence
Anthony Farrell, a 23-year-old man with a previous address at Marian Villas, Arklow, appeared before the Court of Criminal Appeal to challenge his 2011 life imprisonment sentence for the murder of John Deasy. Farrell, who was 19 at the time of the incident, was convicted by a unanimous jury in April 2011 and sentenced in May 2011 for stabbing Mr Deasy at Brauder's shop in Arklow on November 25, 2009. His counsel, Michael O'Higgins SC, argued that Farrell acted in self-defence while attempting an unlawful escape from the premises he had robbed. O'Higgins submitted that Farrell was never asked by gardaí if he was acting in self-defence and believed his life was under threat. Conversely, DPP counsel Una Ní Raifeartaigh SC contended that self-defence does not apply to unlawful force, noting that Mr Deasy was using lawful force to guard the door against a burglar wielding a knife. Farrell's interview statements indicated he stabbed Mr Deasy to clear the doorway and escape, without expressing fear. Presiding Judge Donal O'Donnell, joined by Justices Michael Moriarty and Daniel Herbert, reserved judgment in the appeal. The matter was adjourned, and no final decision was reached during this hearing.