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Family of man kicked to death criticise killer's six-year sentence
Summary
Zhen Dong Zhao, an internet café manager, was sentenced to six years in prison for the manslaughter of Noel Fegan. The matter reached this stage following an appeal where Zhao's original murder conviction and life sentence, imposed in December 2012, were overturned by the Court of Appeal earlier this year, resulting in a retrial order. At the Central Criminal Court last month, the State accepted Zhao's plea of not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The court heard that Zhao kicked Fegan to death outside a shop on Lower Wellington Quay in Dublin in May 2011 during a dispute over a 70-cent phone call. An autopsy attributed Fegan's death to a subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by blunt-force trauma to the head and neck. Justice Patrick McCarthy stated the appropriate sentence was nine years but reduced it by three years due to mitigating factors, including Zhao's remorse, early plea, and low risk of reoffending. Zhao received credit for two years and eight months already spent in custody. The victim's family criticised the sentence, with his niece expressing disappointment that the term was shorter than expected, noting the profound impact on Fegan's two children.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Family of man kicked to death criticise killer's six-year sentence. Charges or matters: murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Noel Fegan, a father of two. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- May 20, 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2016-12-20 Publication
Why: He said he ran after him because he 'wanted to teach them not to do this again', adding 'I don't like these types of people'. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Noel Fegan, a father of two (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: Credit: Collins) An internet café manager has been jailed for six years for kicking a customer to death during a row over a 70-cent phone call. Zhao of Jervis Street, Dublin, was originally convicted of the 39-year old's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2012.
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