Donal Colgan convicted of murder after chip-shop stabbing

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Donal Colgan was found guilty of murdering David Sheridan on 8 November 2017 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The proceedings were reported on 8 November 2017.

Colgan had pleaded not guilty to murder and guilty to manslaughter. Sheridan died after Colgan stabbed him outside Luigi’s takeaway on Dublin’s North Strand Road on 17 August 2014.

The prosecution said Colgan attacked Sheridan out of anger following an altercation outside the chip shop seven minutes earlier. The defence argued that Colgan lost all self-control when Sheridan struck him on the head with a bag of cans.

Colgan said Gary Kinlan had punched him and thrown a bottle that struck him on the forehead and knocked him down. Kinlan said Colgan was the first to throw a punch. Colgan went to his nearby apartment, retrieved a kitchen knife and returned to Luigi’s. He said he returned because he was angry, but had no intention of stabbing anyone.

The jury returned a unanimous murder verdict after five days of evidence and six hours and 44 minutes of deliberation. Justice Tony Hunt said he had the “sad and grim duty” of sentencing Colgan to life. He said he could find no fault with the jury’s decision, but was sure Colgan had not gone out that evening intending to do what he did.