A YOUNG Limerick man has been jailed for five years at the Central Criminal Court for his role in the stabbing of a school friend over two years ago.
Anthony Mason (18), Bishop Street, Limerick, had pleaded not guilty to the murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Roman Vysochan (16) at Carraig Midhe estate, Corbally, on May 10th, 2008.
Roman, who had been living in Ashley Close, Westbury, Co Clare, collapsed at the entrance to the estate in Corbally having been stabbed in the chest and arm during an altercation.
John O’Loughlin (21), Cecil Street, Limerick, was jailed for life last July for the murder of the talented soccer player.
Mason told gardaí that, along with O’Loughlin, he confronted Roman and a teenage girl in the house, and although he hit him a number of times, he had discarded the knife he was carrying after recognising Roman Vysochan from their time together in school.
Mr Justice Paul Carney said he normally managed to forget the “horrors” of the court by the close of proceedings each day, but he had “never forgotten” the account by Roman’s mother, Tetyana Vysochan, of visiting a Limerick cemetery and finding that “every second grave was that of a young person”.
He said the court had taken into account the grave nature of the crime and the effect it had on the Ukrainian-born family of the victim and Ms Vysochan in particular.
Mr Justice Carney said Mason had armed himself with a knife in anticipation of a fight. The court was mindful that his consumption of alcohol offered no defence or mitigation.
However, he said the court had regard to the fact that Mason had no previous convictions, had proffered an early guilty plea and had played a minor role compared to O’Loughlin.
Imposing a five-year sentence, Mr Justice Carney directed that Mason be given credit for time already served.
The court heard that on the night of the offence, Mason had consumed “five or six pints” and had been drinking more in an apartment before taking a taxi with O’Loughlin and two others to the house at Corbally.
Mason denied travelling to the house to hurt someone. He told gardaí he had armed himself with a kitchen knife because he believed he was going to fight a “group of young fellas” who had congregated there. He described O’Loughlin as being in “a very bad mood” and “going crazy”.
Having been let into the house, Mason ran to an upstairs bedroom with O’Loughlin and confronted the victim and a teenage girl. However, Mason told gardaí he placed the knife he was carrying on a dresser after recognising Roman Vysochan from school.
He told gardaí he caught the victim by his legs, pulled him to his feet and gave him “two or three digs” while O’Loughlin struck him from behind and stabbed him.
Roman managed to escape from the house but collapsed as he reached a main road adjacent to the Corbally estate, having suffered a 13cm chest wound.
Resuscitation efforts failed after he went in to cardiac arrest and he died shortly afterwards.