Sentencing in the case of a teenager who was found guilty of the murder of 43-year-old Thomas Dooley at a funeral in Co Kerry over two years ago has been adjourned until next month.
Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring said the court was in "novel territory" with regard to what headline sentence to hand down, since a mandatory life sentence for a child convicted of murder who has reached the age of 18 before sentencing was ruled unconstitutional.
The defendant in this case was 17 years old at the time of the murder and 19 years of age when found guilty last July.
She said this is the first time the Central Criminal Court had to determine the headline sentence in such a case and, as there is no guidance available as to the appropriate sentence, she said she would need time to consider it.
Earlier, the prosecution had advised that the Director of Public Prosecutions had no directions to give on an appropriate headline sentence in the case of a child found guilty of murder.
Adjourning sentencing until 31 March next, she apologised to Mr Dooley's widow Siobhán saying she knew she had wanted the case to be finalised, however, was anxious to get the sentencing right.
She also accepted that it is difficult for the teenager who is in custody and his family not to have sentencing finalised.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was one of six people who were all found guilty of the father-of-seven's murder at a funeral in Tralee in 2022.
The five other co-accused all received mandatory life sentences following a seven-week trial last July.
All had pleaded not guilty.
