Courts / Ireland / Report
Judge concerned as would-be teen killer may be released without supervision after Supreme Court ruling
Summary
In a 2025 Central Criminal Court hearing, Mr Justice Paul McDermott expressed concern that a 23‑year‑old offender, who was 15 when he attempted to murder Stephanie Ng in 2017, might be released from prison without supervision following a Supreme Court ruling. The defendant, who used a dating app and pretended to be 19, lured Ng to an isolated spot on the Sea Front, Queen's Road, Dun Laoghaire, where he choked her and slashed her neck. He pleaded guilty in 2019 and was sentenced to eleven years with a review after five years. The Court of Appeal later increased the review period by two years. However, the Supreme Court held that a sentencing court lacks jurisdiction to review its own sentences, leaving the judge unable to impose post‑release supervision.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Judge concerned as would-be teen killer may be released without supervision after Supreme Court ruling. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- December 23, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 4 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-03-24 Publication
Why: The defendant, who cannot be named because he was a minor when he first came before the courts, was sentenced to eleven years with a review after five years. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: The defendant, who cannot be named because he was a minor when he first came before the courts, was sentenced to eleven years with a review after five years.
Places mentioned
- Supreme Court
- Court of Appeal
- Central Criminal Court
- Queen's Road
Topics
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