A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Steven Ring, who was tied up, choked and dumped in a Wexford quarry where his body lay undiscovered for almost two weeks.
The Central Criminal Court heard that murderer Christopher Judge had also stolen Mr Ring's new mobile and, while a missing persons search was underway, had messaged people offering an "unlocked, brand new iPhone for sale".
While the deceased's body lay in Carrigfoyle Quarry, "dumped like a piece of rubbish," Judge's co-accused Jane Corcoran posted on Facebook saying she hoped he would return home safely to his family.
Corcoran, 34, also with an address at Pairc na Dara, was jailed for six years last month after she pleaded guilty to helping Judge to move Mr Ring's body.
Addressing her son’s murderer as he was jailed for life, Linda Ring said: "We as a family will never forgive you. We are the ones who have to suffer a life sentence."
She added: "I hope that you see my son's face every time you close your eyes. I hope you rot in hell."
Judge ,42, with an address at Pairc na Dara, Clonard, Co Wexford, pleaded guilty earlier this month to murdering 27-year-old Mr Ring at that address on 15 October 2024.
Steven Ring was first reported missing by his mother on 17 October 2024.
A massive search operation involving gardaí, garda diving units and the civil defence continued over the following ten days before Mr Ring's body was eventually found in the Carraigfoyle Quarry by two children out fishing.
Evidence
Earlier, Detective Inspector Pádhraic Roberts told prosecuting counsel, Bernard Condon SC, that Stephen Ring was last seen alive by his grandfather, who dropped him off at a housing estate in Wexford on the night before he was murdered.
Mr Ring was subsequently captured on CCTV at 2.51am on 15 October, approaching the door of the property at Pairc na Dara.
Just over an hour later, Jane Corcoran was seen reversing a car into the driveway and opening the boot.
A short time later, the pair were seen carrying Mr Ring’s body, wrapped in sheets or a blanket, to the boot of the car.
Detective Inspector Roberts said the CCTV captured Christopher Judge saying: "Is he in?"
The vehicle left the residence and returned shortly before 7am.
Gardaí subsequently received a statement from the defendant's former girlfriend, who said Judge had made admissions to her that he had been involved in seeking out and killing Mr Ring.
The Det Insp said on the evening of 14 October, Judge and Corcoran drove to Enniscorthy actively looking for Mr Ring. They made a phone call to one of his friends and said they would call to his home house if he didn't make contact.
The friend also received a voice note, in which Judge can be heard in the background saying: "I'll slap the f**king head off him", which was in reference to Stephen Ring.
Det Insp Roberts said gardaí believe the incident was related to a stolen Jaguar car that Judge believed was in Mr Ring’s possession.
He said Judge told his ex-girlfriend: "He is dead. Stephen, the chap with the Jaguar".
She said the defendant told her he had put two Stanley blades together and cut Mr Ring on the cheek and then choked him.
He also asked her how long it would take "for a body to rise".
The Det Insp said two parallel marks could be clearly seen on Mr Ring's cheek when his body was recovered from the quarry.
Judge messaged contacts offering iPhone for sale
The Det Insp said Ring had recently been given a new iPhone 13 from his grandfather and after his murder, Judge messaged a number of his contacts offering an "unlocked, brand new iPhone for sale".
Part of a ripped towel gardaí believed was used to tie Mr Ring's hands behind his back was found in a washing machine on the landing of the house Pairc na Dara. The Det Insp said parts of the ripped towel were still evident on the deceased’s body when it was recovered.
Det Insp Roberts said up to 200 people, including a garda search team and divers, were involved in the search for Mr Ring. He said when the deceased's body was eventually recovered on 27 October fish in the lake had begun to interfere with the body.
"For two weeks, my beautiful boy lay in water after being thrown into a quarry like he was nothing. I can't stop thinking about how afraid he must have been and if he called out for me."
A postmortem conducted by State Pathologist Dr Sallyanne Collis found Mr Ring's cause of death was cardiac arrythmia precipitated by external pressure on the neck.
Judge was interviewed on eight occasions. He initially told gardaí that everything would come out in the end but that he "never set out to hurt or harm anyone". He later denied the allegations and claimed he had been putting a scooter into the car.
The court heard that the defendant has 27 previous convictions, including those for theft and fraud, drugs offences and one for possession of a knife.
Defence Counsel, Thomas Creed SC, said Judge had asked him to tell the court that he himself had suffered personal bereavement in his life and it was as a result of the remorse he felt that he had instructed his legal team to enter the plea on his behalf.
Family left 'with a hole in their hearts that can never be filled'
In a victim impact statement, Ms Ring said her family have been left "with a hole in their hearts that can never be filled".
She said losing a child was a pain no parent should ever have to face, "especially in the violent and senseless way that my son was taken from me".
"For two weeks, my beautiful boy lay in water after being thrown into a quarry like he was nothing. I can’t stop thinking about how afraid he must have been and if he called out for me."
Ms Ring described her son Steven as "kind" and "funny" with "a heart of gold". He was "generous and thoughtful", she said, and would "literally give you the shirt off his back".
She said on 15 October, the day her son was murdered, she had "a dreaded feeling in the pit of my stomach" when she couldn’t reach him.
"As time went by, I just knew," said Ms Ring, adding Steven would always be in touch as he knew his family would worry. "As much as I longed for that phone call or text, it never came."
"Our home is quieter now. The laughter that once filled it is gone, replaced by an everlasting sadness."
She said when her son’s body was found she had to wait another day before she finally got to see him.
"All I wanted was to be with him, hold his hand and let him know his Mammy was with him," she said.
Ms Ring said what she finally identified Steven, what she saw of her "beautiful boy" would "haunt" her until the day she dies.
"I got such a fright and fell to my knees. How could this be Steven? How could anybody do this to another human being?"
She said Steven’s casket had to remain closed at his funeral "due to the state that he was left in".
"I couldn’t even kiss him goodbye or whisper in his ear," Ms Ring added.
She said she is now on medication and attending counselling but "none of it is making and difference" and she is now "living a nightmare that will never end".
Sentencing Judge to the mandatory term of life imprisonment, Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo described this as a "sad and shocking case".
'No conviction or sentence will ever bring Steven back to us'
He said Ms Ring’s victim impact statement clearly showed the anguish the deceased’s family had suffered, not only due to the circumstances of Stephen Ring’s death but the time it took to find his remains.
In a statement read outside court on behalf of the family, Mr Ring’s aunt Carol Ring said: "Following today's conviction, we are left with a mixture of emotions that are difficult to put into words. While we are grateful that those responsible have been held accountable, no conviction or sentence will ever bring Steven back to us."
She added: "Nothing can undo the heartbreak of losing him in such a cruel and senseless way. This is a pain we will carry with us for the rest of our lives."
She said Steven was a "cherished son, a devoted grandson, a loving brother, a much-loved nephew, cousin and loyal friend".
"The loss of Steven has devastated our family in ways that cannot truly be expressed," Mr Ring's aunt said.
"Our home is quieter now. The laughter that once filled it is gone, replaced by an everlasting sadness. Our lives are emptier and there is a constant, aching sense that something, someone is missing. For his mother the pain is beyond words, she has lost her son, a piece of her heart and she faces each day with a grief no parent should have to endure."
She said Steven’s two young brothers have lost not just their brother, "but a protector and best friend".
"Steven was someone who guided them, laughed with them and cared for them deeply. Now, they must grow up without him by their side, without his support, his encouragement and the brotherly love that shaped their young lives," she said.
Carol Ring thanked the gardaí "who worked tirelessly to bring Steven home to us and ensure justice was done".
She also expressed the family’s thanks to the two young boys who found her nephew’s body.
"We will be forever grateful for what you did," she said. "At the same time, we are heartbroken that you had to witness something that no one, especially children, should ever have to see. It is something that will stay with you and that adds another layer of pain to what has already been done."
She said the fact that Mr Ring’s body was left in a place where families and children spend time was something they found deeply distressing. "There was every chance that a child could have found him and the fact that this risk was taken shows a complete disregard for others and a profound callousness."
Family says there will always be an 'empty chair' at gatherings
In her victim impact statement, Linda Ring described her son as a gifted sportsman who was an excellent hurler, footballer and soccer player.
"Playing sports was when Steven was at his happiest and he helped his local club to numerous titles throughout the years," she said.
She said Mr Ring was also a very good carpenter and would often make things for his family.
Ms Ring said Mr Ring was not just a victim in this case, "he was loved so much and his life had meaning and purpose".
She said knowing she will never hear his voice or see his "beautiful smile ever again" hits her with "such force that all I want to do is curl up and die myself".
"Family gatherings are not the same anymore, she said, as there "is and always will be an empty chair. A constant reminder of who we have lost".
Ms Ring said ten months before her son was murdered, Mr Ring’s father had died. This took a toll on his mental health, she said, and "his addiction took hold of him".
"Although he struggled with addiction, it did not define him," she said. "He still had his good qualities….He was still a great person who was loved by so many."
