A MAN accused of murdering a 28 year old whose body was found in the boot of his own car in an isolated Dublin laneway, has been cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.
Stephen Penrose (27), of no fixed abode, had denied murdering David Sharkey in Navan, Co Meath, last May. He admitted manslaughter but the DPP rejected the plea and the murder trial lasted seven days at the Central Criminal Court.
Penrose told the jury he had only planned to steal heroin from Sharkey as he had become addicted to the drug following the death of his baby girl. He said the plan went wrong after Sharkey produced a knife and demanded his drugs back when Penrose failed to pay him.
He stabbed Sharkey 13 times on the stairwell of an apartment at Parkview, Blackcastle, Navan, on May 17th, 2009. The 18cm blade went through Sharkey’s shoulder-blade and also penetrated his heart, stomach and liver.
Penrose told the jury that heroin had taken over his life and he was “using it all day every day” at the time of the killing. He was involved in a “drugs relationship” with a woman and had been staying with her at the apartment in Parkview.
Penrose said it was her idea to get Sharkey to come to the apartment with an ounce of heroin, and then rob the heroin. Penrose was to produce the knife to convince Sharkey to let him run off.
The jury was shown CCTV footage of the accused buying the knife in Navan. While in the store, he received a text saying Sharkey was ready to do the deal.
Penrose replied saying “get him to wait till six o’clock . . . den I be ready for him”. Paul Green SC, prosecuting, said this “cast a shadow over Penrose’s unsustainable position that this was all a terrible mistake”.
Penrose said that after Sharkey arrived and the heroin was handed over, he tried to get out the door. But Sharkey took out a knife and came towards him. Penrose produced his own knife and stabbed him. Penrose’s defence lawyer, Patrick Marrinan SC, said the killing took place in broad daylight, in an apartment next to busy shops covered with CCTV cameras. He said the notion it was planned and premeditated “defies common sense”. Penrose is to be sentenced on July 5th.