Courts / Kerry / Report
7.5ft man's death as tragic as his life, mother tells killer's sentence hearing
Summary
At a sentencing hearing, the mother of 24‑year‑old Dmitry Hrynkevich, a 7.5‑ft Belarussian man with Murfad syndrome, spoke about her son's life and death. She said Dmitry was bullied because of his height, endured pain, blindness and other illnesses, yet remained courageous, generous and a volunteer organ donor. He died on 2 October 2015 after a drunken fight at a house in Tralee, suffering head, face and neck injuries. Lithuanian resident Arnoldas Ivanauskas, 33, was charged with murder but acquitted; he was found guilty of manslaughter. The jury accepted that he intended more than a trivial injury but not serious harm. The court heard that Dmitry had undergone major heart surgery and that a post‑mortem linked his death to a heart attack and blunt‑force trauma. The prosecution sought a sentence of four to ten years, the judge adjourned the hearing to 23 October for further inquiry.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 7.5ft man's death as tragic as his life, mother tells killer's sentence hearing. Charges or matters: manslaughter last month for killing her son Dmitry Hrynkevich (24); murdering Mr Hrynkevich but a jury unanimously acquitted him of that charge and found him guilty of manslaughter. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- October 2, 2015 Other
- October 23 Adjournment
- 2020-10-08 Publication
Why: " However, her son was, she said, "a freak in the eyes of society because of his height". CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: manslaughter last month for killing her son Dmitry Hrynkevich (24); murdering Mr Hrynkevich but a jury unanimously acquitted him of that charge and found him guilty of manslaughter (Proven)
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Roisin Lacey SC, for the prosecution, said the offence lies in the medium culpability range and should therefore carry a sentence of between four to ten years.; Mr Justice Michael McGrath adjourned the hearing until October 23 to allow Ms Lacey to inquire about the details of a further offence committed in Lithuania.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Kerry General Hospital
- Wheatfield Prison
Topics
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