By Oliver McIntyre
David Mahon, stepfather of Irish teenager Amy Fitzpatrick who disappeared in Mijas in 2008, has been convicted in Ireland for the manslaughter of his stepson Dean Fitzpatrick.
Mr Fitzpatrick, a 23-year-old father of one, died after being stabbed in the abdomen during a row with his stepfather in May 2013 in Dublin.
In a 10 to two majority ruling, a jury last Friday found Mr Mahon not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
At trial the state prosecutor had argued that Mahon was drunk, angry and agitated when he intentionally stabbed his stepson.
However, Mahon told Garda officers that the stabbing was accidental and that Mr Fitzpatrick had “walked into the knife” during the altercation, heard the jury.
Defence counsel Sean Guerin stated at trial that Mahon had admitted the death was his fault, but that it was an accident.
During closing arguments he said: “If Mr Mahon had not taken the knife out of his pocket Dean Fitzpatrick wouldn’t be dead and he admitted that,” according to a report in the Irish Independent.
“Mr Mahon has admitted that taking the knife out was a very, very stupid thing to do and had tragic consequences.”
