MURDER charges have been dropped against seven people, including a man and woman currently living in Westmeath, who have been on trial in connection with the death of a 20-year-old man who was beaten to death in Dublin on New Year’s Day in 2014.
The trial at the Central Criminal Court ended this week after five of the seven pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Dale Creighton was assaulted on New Year’s morning in 2014 at the footbridge over the Tallaght bypass between Saint Dominic’s Road and Greenhills Road, Dublin.
He died in hospital the following day.
A woman and six men, who are in their 20s and from Tallaght, had all pleaded not guilty to murder.
They are 23-year-old Aisling Burke and 28-year-old David Burke, both with a current address at Beechpark, Collinstown, Co Westmeath; Graham Palmer, aged 26, with a current address at Park Avenue, Portarlington, Co Laois; Ross Callery, aged 23, currently of Gortlum Cottages, Brittas, Co Dublin; James Reid, aged 26, currently of Glen Aoibhinn, Gorey, Co Wexford; Jason Beresford, aged 23, with an address at Coill Diarmuida, Ard a’ Laoi, Castledermot, Co Kildare; and Gerard Stevens, aged 27, currently of Grosvenor Square, Rathmines in Dublin.
Each accused also initially pleaded not guilty to violent disorder at the footbridge.
However, Jason Beresford later changed his plea and pleaded guilty to the violent disorder charge.
On Tuesday of this week, 1 November, they were re-arraigned before the court and David Burke, Graham Palmer, Ross Callery, Gerard Stevens and Jason Beresford pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Aisling Burke pleaded guilty to violent disorder and James Reid pleaded guilty to possession of a knife. They will be sentenced in December.
