Calvin Dunne sentenced for manslaughter of Dylan McCarthy

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Calvin Dunne was sentenced to six years and nine months for the manslaughter of Dylan McCarthy, with the final six months suspended for 12 months. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs imposed the sentence at the Central Criminal Court on 30 June 2025.

Dunne had pleaded not guilty to murdering Dylan McCarthy on or about 22 August 2022 and to violent disorder at Dublin Road, Monasterevin, on 21 August 2022. On 7 February 2025, a jury acquitted him of murder but convicted him of manslaughter by a 10-2 majority and unanimously found him guilty of violent disorder. The violent disorder charge was taken into consideration at sentencing.

The State’s case was that Dylan McCarthy received punches and a kick to the head while trying to get up outside the Bellyard pub. Dunne maintained that he acted in self-defence, that McCarthy was involved in violence and that he did not kick him in the head. State pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers told the jury it was not possible to determine whether a punch or kick caused the fatal injury.

At sentencing, Ms Justice Biggs said the prosecution had described a running kick, but having viewed the CCTV again she considered it a one-stride kick that made contact with the head. She said Dunne had offered a guilty plea to manslaughter on 15 January, but withdrew it the following day.

Dunne’s co-accused, Sean Kavanagh, had denied murder and was acquitted of that charge on the judge’s direction. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Dylan McCarthy’s father, Eamonn McCarthy. Ms Justice Biggs sentenced him to two years and six months, with the final four months suspended for 12 months; a violent disorder charge was taken into consideration.