Donal Colgan’s barrister urged manslaughter verdict in murder trial

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

Donal Colgan’s barrister urged the jury to return a manslaughter verdict at his murder trial. The proceedings were reported on 22 November 2016.

Colgan was accused of murdering David Sheridan, a father of two, outside Luigi’s Takeaway on North Strand Road in Dublin. The report said Colgan claimed he had lost complete control when he stabbed Sheridan to death in 2014.

On 21 November 2016, Colgan told the jury that Sheridan and his friend had beaten him outside the takeaway on 17 August 2014. He said he went home, got a knife and returned to the takeaway, where he claimed Sheridan attacked him again. He said he lost complete control, did not think he had done much damage and could not believe it when he heard Sheridan was dead.

In his closing speech, defence barrister Patrick Marrinan rebutted the prosecution’s claim that Colgan was deliberately deceitful. He also challenged the proposition that Colgan was cunning, describing him instead as a “stupid man” who was confused and out of his depth.

Marrinan told the jury that the issue was whether Colgan was guilty of murder or the lesser charge of manslaughter. He said he believed manslaughter was the “just verdict”. The jury was due to begin deliberating after hearing from the trial judge on 23 November 2016.