Dean Kerrie (21) who was jailed for killing fisherman convicted of having mobile phone in jail cell

• 2h ago

A YOUNG man jailed for stabbing and killing a fisherman who broke into his home has been convicted of illegally having a mobile phone in his prison cell.

Dean Kerrie (21) was caught four days before Christmas with the phone at Wheatfield, where he is serving three and a half years for manslaughter.

Judge Ciaran Liddy gave him another one-month sentence but made it concurrent, meaning Kerrie’s jail time will not be extended.

Kerrie, of St Brigid’s Square, Portarlington, Co Laois, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a mobile phone in prison without the permission of the governor.

A garda told Blanchardstown District Court prison officers carried out a search of the accused’s cell on December 21 last year and a small mobile phone was found on his person.

He accepted ownership of it and had no previous convictions for this type of offence, the garda said.

“It was four days before Christmas and he was contacting family members,” defence solicitor Wayne Kenny said. “He knows he shouldn’t have done it.”

Kerrie lost all privileges in the prison for a time as a result. He apologised for the offence, Mr Kenny said.

Judge Liddy said the one-month sentence is to run from the date of conviction yesterday.

Kerrie was 17 years old when he stabbed Jack Power to death on July 26, 2018.

Mr Power was an unarmed intruder at Kerrie’s then home at Shanakiel in Dunmore East, Co Waterford at the time.

The victim had been drinking in the early hours of the morning when he saw damage to his car that he thought had been done by Kerrie. Mr Power smashed a window at the Kerrie house with a rock and went in the front door. There was an altercation and Dean Kerrie stabbed him in the chest with a knife.

Kerrie was twice tried for murder at the Central Criminal Court but last year was convicted by a jury of manslaughter.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott said the accused was entitled to use force in defence of himself, his family and his home, but the force he used was “grossly” excessive given that the victim was unarmed.

Taking into account Kerrie’s age at the time, that he showed genuine remorse and did not expect or instigate the violence, the judge imposed a sentence of four years and six months with the final year suspended for two years.

Mr Justice McDermott had described Mr Power as an “exceptionally hard-working young man” who loved his work as a fisherman.

In victim impact statements, his parents said his loss was “immeasurable.”