A teenager who stabbed his friend to death has been sentenced to detention for life with a review after ten years.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named because he is a minor, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the murder of Glen Osborne at Ballybough House, Ballybough, Dublin on 15 April last.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott accepted the youth's remorse was genuine but said he had armed himself with a knife and used it on another human being who was his friend and whom he knew to be unarmed.
The teenager was friends with Glen Osborne and had gone to buy drugs but did not pay for them.
The drug dealers then broke the windows in Glen Osborne's mother's home and the 20-year-old blamed the 17-year-old for identifying his home to the dealers and "ratting him out".
The teenager then made a Facebook call to Mrs Osborne and told her that Glen was "going around" calling him "a rat" and for her to "wait and see what I'm going to do to him".
He said he was going down "to sort all this out".
The teenager took a taxi to Ballybough House and brought a knife in a Penneys bag. Glen Osborne met him in the stairwell and a fight began which spilled out onto the car park.
The boy produced the knife after Glen Osborne got "the upper hand" and stabbed the 20-year-old once in the heart before running away. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.
The teenager presented himself to gardaí a short time later and admitted what he had done.
He subsequently wrote a letter of apology to the victim's mother in which he said he would, if he could, give his own life for her son's.
Mr Justice McDermott said today that the boy had shown genuine sorrow, regret and remorse for what he had done and he was satisfied this was sincere and genuine.
The boy pleaded guilty which showed a willingness to face up to his responsibilities, the judge added.
However, he also said the teenager had armed himself with a knife and brought it to a situation. He said the fact that he contemplated using it and did use it on another human being who was unarmed, and his friend who was unaware this was going to happen, were aggravating factors
He sentenced the 17-year-old to detention for life with a review after 10 years in 2030.
On his 18th birthday, he said the teenager will be transferred to an adult prison and the judge directed that reports be drawn up by relevant health professionals before he is transferred, and every two years following his transfer to adult prison.
The judge who reviews the case in 2030 will have access to those reports before deciding whether to extend the period of imprisonment.
