Courts / Dublin / Report
Fatal stabbing 'left behind a river of agony and tears', judge notes
Summary
In a Central Criminal Court trial, Andrew Lacey, aged 35, was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of Derek Reddin, aged 31, on Loughlinstown Drive. The case centred on a feud between the families that escalated after a drunken row, not involving organised crime or drugs. Lacey claimed he was attacked by Reddin, who had a metal baseball bat, and that he used a knife he carried for work to defend himself. The jury found Lacey guilty of manslaughter, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, but the judge noted his culpability fell in the middle of the four‑to‑ten‑year range. Lacey's defence argued his moral culpability was at the low end of that bracket, citing his lack of prior convictions and character references from family, friends and colleagues. The sentencing hearing will consider the impact on Reddin's family, including his two sons, and Lacey's own children.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Fatal stabbing 'left behind a river of agony and tears', judge notes. Charges or matters: the murder of Derek Reddin (31) at Loughlinstown Drive on a date unknown between October 14 and October 15, 2019, both dates inclusive. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 14 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 15, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2023-07-27 Publication
Why: Dominic McGinn SC, for Lacey, said that his client's moral culpability is at the low end of that middle bracket because he was attacked and believed that the production of the knife was justified to defend himself. CNI source report
Case subjects
Background Person
Charges: the murder of Derek Reddin (31) at Loughlinstown Drive on a date unknown between October 14 and October 15, 2019, both dates inclusive (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: At today's sentencing hearing Ms Lacey said that the maximum penalty for manslaughter is life imprisonment but Lacey's culpability in this case falls in the middle and would attract a sentence of between four and ten years.
Places mentioned
Topics
Drugs Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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