Teenager pleads guilty to Limerick murder
A 16-year-old is due to be sentenced later after pleading guilty to murdering a 33-year-old man in Limerick two years ago.
The court heard the youth, who can't be named because of his age, swung at Pat Coleman with a broken bottle and stuck it in his neck after he and his friend had been drinking on the day of the All-Ireland hurling final.
He sobbed as he pleaded guilty to the murder, which happened at John Carew Park, Link Road in Limerick, in September 2007.
The court heard Pat Coleman was making his way home after a day's drinking following the All-Ireland.
He came across a group of teenage boys drinking and, as he passed them by, he knocked one of their bottles.
The youth became very angry and confronted Mr Coleman, who carried on walking.
The youth picked up a bottle and broke it and followed him.
The other boys followed behind.
The youth swung at him with a broken bottle and stabbed him in the neck, after which he and the others ran away.
Mr Coleman was bleeding quite heavily and made his way to his house.
He was later found dead in his bathroom and the cause of death was loss of blood.
The next day, three youths presented themselves at a garda station.
The youth in question eventually admitted that he wouldn't have started it if Mr Coleman hadn't knocked over the bottle.
He said he didn't mean to stab him, just to frighten him.
The mandatory life sentence does not apply here as he is underage.
Mr Justice Paul Carney will hand out sentence later.
