Teenager's attempted-murder sentence found too lenient

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

The Court of Appeal found that a teenager’s sentence for attempted murder was too lenient. The proceedings were reported on 2 July 2020.

He pleaded guilty to attempted murder. In November 2019, he was sentenced to 11 years in detention, with a review to begin on 1 January 2023.

The State appealed on grounds of undue leniency. Anne-Marie Lawlor SC told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions did not take issue with the 11-year term, but argued that the five-year review did not reflect the gravity of the offence.

The teenager had met Stephanie Ng on the Whisper social media app, where he pretended to be 19. In December 2017, when he was 15, he lured her to an isolated area at the Sea Front, Queen’s Road, Dun Laoghaire. During their first face-to-face meeting, he suggested a selfie by the water’s edge, grabbed her from behind, choked her unconscious and slashed her neck with a knife.

On 2 July 2020, Court of Appeal President Justice George Birmingham delivered judgment, sitting with Justice Patrick McCarthy and Justice Isobel Kennedy. He invited both parties to liaise ahead of resentencing.