Murder trial continues after teenager's manslaughter plea was not accepted

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

A 17-year-old accused has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and not guilty to murder. The Director of Public Prosecutions did not accept his plea, and he was on trial at the Central Criminal Court.

The charges relate to the death of 18-year-old Azzam Raguragui, who was stabbed at Finsbury Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14, on 10 May 2019. The proceedings were reported on 7 September 2020.

A friend of the accused said he had brought the knife used in the fatal assault. The witness told prosecution counsel James Dwyer SC that the accused took it from him minutes before the melee because “he didn’t want us to get into trouble”. The witness said the accused did not know about the knife until he saw him with it in the park.

The trial was continuing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.