A teenager who killed 14-year-old Ben Smyth didn't walk away before a fight because he felt it would be bad for his image, a court heard yesterday.
The Central Criminal Court also heard that he had been charged with possession of a screwdriver as an offensive weapon in the months prior to the killing.
The 17-year-old youth has been acquitted of murder but convicted of the manslaughter of Ben Smyth, of Cushlawn Park, Tallaght. He was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver outside his home on August 19th, 1998. He died five days later.
The trial heard that a scuffle broke out between the youth and Ben's brother, David Smyth, after the youth was refused a cigarette. Witnesses said they believed the youth had misunderstood innocent remarks passed between Ben and David Smyth as he passed by.
In yesterday's sentence hearing, Det Garda Patrick Gavin of Tallaght said when gardai asked why he didn't leave after he was refused a cigarette, the youth replied: "I don't leg it, it's bad for my image." When detectives asked him if he was sorry for what he had done, he said, "no".
While Ben Smyth was critically ill in hospital, the youth continued to show no remorse, the court heard.
????i in the presence of his mother were prejudicial to the defence but were relevant for sentencing.
In submissions for the defence, Mr Patrick Gageby SC pointed to evidence suggesting the youth had consumed more alcohol than he had admitted. He said family difficulties had led to low self-esteem and asked the judge to consider the youth's age.
His client had offered an early plea of guilty to manslaughter and had conducted his trial "responsibly", Mr Gageby said.
Mr Justice Smith adjourned sentencing to next Friday, November 26th.