A 28-year-old man who stabbed his friend to death during a row over a stolen scooter and a debt of €100 has been jailed for nine years.
John Titiloye, from Mac Uilliam Crescent in Tallaght, Dublin, was convicted of the manslaughter of his friend Ademola Giwa in Tallaght almost two years ago.
He was found not guilty of murder after a jury heard he had been retreating from the scene but returned brandishing a knife after his father had been attacked.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott said it was "hard to believe such a paltry sum" could lead to such violence and he was not convinced that Titiloye understands the enormity of his crime.
Mr Giwa, 25, whose nickname was 'Dizzy’ was a friend of Titiloye.
They grew up in the same street, played football and went to school together.
The court was told another man, Samson Fayemi, owed Titiloye €100 and the debt became a source of tension.
On 9 August 2021, the day before the fatal stabbing, Titiloye and a group of men confronted Mr Fayemi and took his scooter and keys.
The following evening, he and Mr Giwa called to Titiloye’s house at Mac Uilliam Crescent, where a row broke out and Titiloye’s father Anthony became involved.
Titiloye had been retreating from the scene but was heard to shout out "my dad, not my dad" before returning and stabbing Mr Giwa in the neck.
He was pronounced dead in hospital later that evening.
'Wicked and evil'
In victim impact statements, the Mr Giwa's family described the pain of losing their eldest son and described his killer as "wicked" and "evil".
Mr Giwa's father said no words could describe the agony that the loss of their first born son had on the family.
There was, he said, no greater pain than seeing your child lying in a coffin stabbed to death by his so-called friend.
Ademola's loss cannot be described, he said, he was irreplaceable and he always remembered his words, "daddy don't worry I will be there".
He said a wicked friend had cut his son's dreams short, he prayed that Allah would make it easier for his family and asked that Ademola be granted entry to paradise.
His mother said each day now appears worthless and sad having lost her "first born".
She said she was training in the UK but there was no prospect of her coming back to Ireland after her training.
Mr Giwa’s sister said her older brother had been stolen from her and she never had a chance to say goodbye.
He was, she said, "killed in cold blood" by a man who "pursued a path of evil, showed no remorse and lied repeatedly".
She described her bother’s killing as "gruesome and evil" and said "with this killer in prison, the Irish public will be safer".
'I hold all responsibility'
A letter of apology from Titiloye expressed regret and remorse.
He said he "still relives that day" in his head and there are many things he wishes he could have done.
"I hold all responsibility," he said, "I feel remorse for his parents. I knew his mother well, we both grew up on the same estate.
"I know a letter of apology won't help them forgive me."
He also said the killing "never should have happened".
"I wish it was me it happened to, he was a great man," he said.
Titiloye has 23 previous convictions, including road traffic, possession of drugs and one for drug dealing for which he received a suspended sentence.
None of the convictions are for violent offences.
'Self justification, somewhat self-serving and partially untrue'
Mr Justice McDermott said it was hard to believe such a paltry sum should generate such high feelings and this level of violence among previous friends.
Titiloye, he said, seemed capable of adapting his story for his own benefit.
He lied to gardaí and told different stories about the purchase of the knife. He also attempted to justify and rationalise his actions to the probation service.
The judge said Titiloye has a limited understanding of the consequences of his decisions.
"He was clearly uninhibited about taking a knife into the encounter and ultimately to use it to kill the deceased," he said.
The judge also said that while the dynamic of what happened was very fast and the killing was obviously not premeditated, Titiloye had used disproportionate force as part of a spontaneous response in a pressurised situation.
However, he said, he had brought the knife and brandished it, "swinging a lethal weapon", ran from the scene leaving his victim behind and made arrangements to flee.
"His account was not completely honest," the judge said and while he "expressed regret and remorse" it was "with self justification, somewhat self-serving and partially untrue."
The judge also said he was not convinced Titiloye appreciates the enormity of the crime
He sentenced him to ten years in prison with the final year suspended for two years and offered his condolences to the family of Mr Giwa.
