Courts / Dublin / Report

Man who lured teenager to his death by pretending to be a girl appeals murder conviction

Summary

Marcus Kirwan, aged 21, has lodged an appeal against his murder conviction for the death of 19‑year‑old David Byrne. The Central Criminal Court heard that Kirwan lured Byrne to a meeting on 19 March 2011 by sending text messages pretending to be a girl. When Byrne arrived, Kirwan and other youths chased him into a dead‑end at an apartment complex, where Kirwan stabbed Byrne nine times – once in the face and eight times in the back – puncturing his heart and lungs. A jury found Kirwan guilty after a three‑week trial, and he was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan on 4 February 2013. Kirwan's appeal now focuses on alleged procedural errors: an arrest warrant issued by a superintendent who may not have had the authority to delegate arrest powers, and alleged infirmities in the identification process and CCTV evidence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who lured teenager to his death by pretending to be a girl appeals murder conviction. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• March 19, 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 4 2013 Incident
• 2015-07-14 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report