Courts / Laois / Report
Man jailed for life as a teen for "brutal" hammer murder to be released in less than two years
Summary
Darren Goodwin, a 26‑year‑old from Graigue, Mountmellick, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004 for the 2003 murder of 14‑year‑old Darragh Conroy. Goodwin was 16 at the time of the offence, so the life sentence was not mandatory; Judge Barry White used his discretion after hearing that Goodwin had expressed a desire to kill someone. The jury found him guilty following a trial at the Central Criminal Court. Conroy's body was discovered on waste ground in Smithsfield, having suffered six blows to the head, with the skull described as "broken up" by the pathologist. Goodwin had previously attempted suicide in September 2003 and had met his father for the first time shortly before the attack. In 2014, Judge White reviewed the sentence and set a release date of 1 July 2016, directing that Goodwin receive forensic psychotherapy twice a week while in prison. The court noted that Goodwin's remorse had not been fully addressed.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man jailed for life as a teen for "brutal" hammer murder to be released in less than two years. Charges or matters: the murder at Briar Lane Moutmellick on 11 November 2003. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- July 2004 Hearing Or Sentence
- 11 November 2003 Hearing Or Sentence
- September 2003 Incident
- July 1st 2016 Other
- 2014-09-12 Publication
Case subjects
Background Person
Charges: the murder at Briar Lane Moutmellick on 11 November 2003 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: Darren Goodwin A 26-year-old Laois man jailed for life as a teenager for hammering a boy to death will be released in less than two years, after his trial judge reviewed his sentence. When passing sentence ten years ago, Mr Justice White said that Goodwin's psychological reports showed that he was a danger to society and certainly a danger to his father.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal court
- Briar Lane
Topics
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