Teenager found guilty of murdering his best friend

Graham McEvoy (19) stabbed Paul Curran (23) to death in Crumlin in July 2016

A garda  on the scene  at Seagull House in Dublin, where Paul Curran was fatally stabbed on July 16th, 2016. File photograph: Aidan Crawley
A garda on the scene at Seagull House in Dublin, where Paul Curran was fatally stabbed on July 16th, 2016. File photograph: Aidan Crawley

A teenager has been found guilty of murder for stabbing his best friend to death.

A jury of six men and six women recorded a majority 11-to-one verdict that Graham McEvoy (19), of Captain's Road, Crumlin, Dublin, murdered Paul "Paulie" Curran (23) at Seagull House on Crumlin Road on July 16th, 2016.

Mr McEvoy had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but his plea was rejected and he underwent a week-long trial at the Central Criminal Court.

It took the jury just in excess of eight hours to reach their majority verdict, shortly before 3pm on Monday afternoon.

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Judge Patrick McCarthy thanked them and exempted them from jury service for 10 years.

Prosecuting counsel Pieter LeVert BL asked for time for a statement to be prepared by the victim’s family, so the judge adjourned sentencing until Tuesday.

Having been found guilty of murder, Mr McEvoy will receive a mandatory life sentence.

Following the verdict, Mr McEvoy told his family: “Don’t worry, it’s only an extra few years.”