A 38-year-old double killer has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his friend whose decapitated remains were found in a shallow grave in woods five years ago.
Stephen Penrose, of Newtown Court, Malahide Road, Coolock in Dublin, was found guilty by a jury of the murder of Philip Finnegan at Rahin Woods, Co Kildare on 10 August 2016.
Mr Justice Alex Owens refused to allow him address the court after the victim's mother told him his actions during the trial had caused the Finnegan family more misery and torture.
Penrose lured Mr Finnegan to Rahin Woods, where, in a violent frenzy, he stabbed the 24-year-old several times.
He later decapitated him and tried to cut up and burn his victim's body, before dumping him in a shallow grave.
Penrose had killed before in 2009, when he stabbed another man, David Sharkey, 13 times in Co Meath.
He then cleaned up the scene and drove the body to Finglas in Dublin, where he planned to burn it before he was caught by gardaí.
Convicted of manslaughter, Penrose was released in 2016 and immediately resumed his life in organised crime, incurring another three-year jail sentence, after he was caught with guns and ammunition.
The son of a garda, but an unstable and highly dangerous substance abuser, Penrose also threatened and fought with staff and inmates in custody.
He was caught with weapons, exposed himself to a female prison officer and incurred more than 30 discipline offences in jail.
During proceedings for the murder of Mr Finnegan, Penrose dismissed two legal teams and represented himself.
He called one garda a liar and cross-examined the victim's mother as she testified. He then refused to attend court, choosing to represent himself from the cells.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Finnegan's mother Angela said no mother should have to be cross-examined by the man who killed her son.
She said this caused more misery, heartache and torture for the Finnegan family.
Penrose stood up and said he wanted to address the court, but Mr Justice Alex Owens refused.
The judge told him: "You don't get to speak at this stage," before sentencing him to the mandatory term of life in prison.
