Donal Colgan gets life for murder outside Dublin chip shop

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

On 8 November 2017, Donal Colgan was found guilty of murdering David Sheridan. Justice Tony Hunt sentenced him to life imprisonment. The proceedings were reported on 8 November 2017.

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

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

Colgan testified that Gary Kinlan punched him and threw a bottle which struck his forehead and knocked him down. Kinlan testified that Colgan threw the first punch.

The report said Colgan walked to his nearby apartment, retrieved a kitchen knife and returned to Luigi’s seven minutes after the initial scuffle with Kinlan. Colgan said he returned because he was angry, but had no intention of stabbing anyone. He said he was afraid and that anger and frustration took over. He said he lost complete control after Sheridan hit him with the bag of cans.

Justice Tony Hunt explained that, for the defence of provocation, the loss of control must be sudden and the situation cannot be created by the accused. The jury reached its unanimous murder verdict after five days of evidence and six hours and 44 minutes of deliberation.