Courts / Wicklow / Report
Sister tells killer's sentencing that brother 'had more stab wounds than his age'
Summary
At a sentencing hearing in the Central Criminal Court, the sister of Stephen 'Apples' Kavanagh, Stephanie Kavanagh, described her brother's death as 'brutally and viciously robbed' after a row over missing crack cocaine. She stated that her 37-year-old brother had 40 stab wounds on his body and was 'left to die like a dog'. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC for Darren Houlden, who was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, stated that it had not taken 'Sherlock Holmes' to solve the case as his client had walked into a garda station covered in blood and admitted stabbing the deceased. The judge remanded Houlden in custody until July 6, when he will be sentenced. The jury accepted the defence case that Houlden had 'lost control and snapped' when he stabbed Mr Kavanagh in a 'frenzied attack'. The defence contention was that 'fear' was at 'the heart of the case' and the accused was afraid for 'his own skin' as the victim had threatened his family. Houlden had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The matter was adjourned and never described as concluded or finalised.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Sister tells killer's sentencing that brother 'had more stab wounds than his age'. Charges or matters: murder but guilty to manslaughter. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Acquitted
When:
- May 6, 2019 Incident
- May 6 Hearing Or Sentence
- June 2019 Incident
- July 6 Adjournment
- May 5 Adjournment
- 2021-06-15 Publication
Why: However, the witness denied that the victim had asked him to come to Meadowvale because some of his crack cocaine had gone missing and he wanted help with the problem. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: murder but guilty to manslaughter (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Acquitted
Outcome: Acquitted; Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC, for Houlden, told the sentence hearing that it had not taken "Sherlock Holmes" to solve this case as his client, who was "covered from head to toe in blood" and carrying a knife, had walked into a garda station and admitted stabbing the deceased. The judge remanded Houlden in custody until July 6, when he will be sentenced.; The judge remanded Houlden in custody until July 6, when he will be sentenced.
Applicant
Charges: murder but guilty to manslaughter (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: The judge remanded Houlden in custody until July 6, when he will be sentenced.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Houlden drove to Arklow Garda Station
- Arklow
- had arrived into Arklow Garda Station
- prior to attending the garda station
- driven to the local garda station
- had walked into the garda station
- Houlden's house
Topics
Drugs Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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