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| Teenager who fatally stabbed lawyer is jailed for life | Teenager who fatally stabbed lawyer is jailed for life |
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| Ewan Ireland, then 17, attacked Peter Duncan at a shopping centre in Newcastle | Ewan Ireland, then 17, attacked Peter Duncan at a shopping centre in Newcastle |
| A teenager who stabbed a lawyer to death with a screwdriver after he accidentally bumped into him outside a shopping centre has been jailed for life. | |
| Ewan Ireland was 17 when he attacked Peter Duncan in August. The sentencing judge said it was the 52-year-old’s bad luck to bump into Ireland while trying to get home after work in Newcastle city centre. | |
| Duncan, a popular father of two boys, and his killer accidentally brushed against each other at a busy entrance to the Eldon Square shopping centre, and Ireland reacted angrily and stabbed his victim in the heart with a screwdriver he had shoplifted minutes before. | Duncan, a popular father of two boys, and his killer accidentally brushed against each other at a busy entrance to the Eldon Square shopping centre, and Ireland reacted angrily and stabbed his victim in the heart with a screwdriver he had shoplifted minutes before. |
| Newcastle crown court heard Duncan struggled on for a few steps before collapsing near a Greggs outlet, and he could not be saved. | Newcastle crown court heard Duncan struggled on for a few steps before collapsing near a Greggs outlet, and he could not be saved. |
| His family expressed anger that a violent and dangerous teenage offender was out on the streets and free to kill. | |
| At the time Ireland was on bail for an offence of affray, was under investigation for a robbery, and subject to a 12-month conditional discharge for a battery offence the previous summer. | |
| Ireland admitted murder at a previous hearing. Mr Justice Lavender sentenced him to life with a minimum of 15 years in jail, saying the term would have been longer if it had happened after he turned 18 in October. | |
| Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, said: “The doorway into the shopping centre was busy with shoppers coming and going and congested by the youths loitering in that area. | Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, said: “The doorway into the shopping centre was busy with shoppers coming and going and congested by the youths loitering in that area. |
| “As Peter Duncan walked into the complex, it was his misfortune to accidentally collide with the defendant. | “As Peter Duncan walked into the complex, it was his misfortune to accidentally collide with the defendant. |
| “It was plainly an unintended and accidental contact, but the defendant reacted to it by immediately launching an attack upon Peter Duncan.” | “It was plainly an unintended and accidental contact, but the defendant reacted to it by immediately launching an attack upon Peter Duncan.” |
| The court heard Ireland has appeared in court on 17 occasions and has 31 criminal offences on his record. Psychiatric assessments deemed him a “dangerous offender”, said Wright. | The court heard Ireland has appeared in court on 17 occasions and has 31 criminal offences on his record. Psychiatric assessments deemed him a “dangerous offender”, said Wright. |
| In a victim impact statement, Duncan’s widow, Maria, said: “The person who did this had convictions. Nothing stopped him. He continued and he murdered my husband. | In a victim impact statement, Duncan’s widow, Maria, said: “The person who did this had convictions. Nothing stopped him. He continued and he murdered my husband. |
| “Please do not allow him to devastate any more families. He is a danger to all of us.” | “Please do not allow him to devastate any more families. He is a danger to all of us.” |
| Duncan’s 15-year-old son was in the city centre that evening for a cinema trip and saw the cordoned off area without realising his father had been attacked. | Duncan’s 15-year-old son was in the city centre that evening for a cinema trip and saw the cordoned off area without realising his father had been attacked. |
| In a victim statement, he said: “At the time [Ireland] had been released under investigation in relation to another incident in which a weapon was used. I am angry he was out free, and cannot understand why he was not locked up. If he had been we would still have my dad to this day.” | In a victim statement, he said: “At the time [Ireland] had been released under investigation in relation to another incident in which a weapon was used. I am angry he was out free, and cannot understand why he was not locked up. If he had been we would still have my dad to this day.” |
| Caroline Goodwin QC, defending, said Ireland “had spoken of his absolute remorse and devastation at the act he occasioned which was needless and senseless and took away from the family their father”. | Caroline Goodwin QC, defending, said Ireland “had spoken of his absolute remorse and devastation at the act he occasioned which was needless and senseless and took away from the family their father”. |
| Sentencing, Lavender said Ireland’s offending started at the age of 14, and he has offences of theft, battery, public order and making threats with knives on his record. | Sentencing, Lavender said Ireland’s offending started at the age of 14, and he has offences of theft, battery, public order and making threats with knives on his record. |
| “All too often, young men like you, who get into the habit of carrying weapons and using them to threaten others, move on to using those weapons to harm others, as you have done.” | “All too often, young men like you, who get into the habit of carrying weapons and using them to threaten others, move on to using those weapons to harm others, as you have done.” |
| A defence psychiatrist reported that Ireland had “severe autism spectrum disorder and intermittent explosive disorder” – the latter meaning he was unable to control “impulsive or anger-based aggressive outbursts”, the judge said. | A defence psychiatrist reported that Ireland had “severe autism spectrum disorder and intermittent explosive disorder” – the latter meaning he was unable to control “impulsive or anger-based aggressive outbursts”, the judge said. |
| The prosecution psychiatrist said he had “traits of autism spectrum disorder” and “conduct disorder” – symptoms of which include “excessive levels of fighting”. | The prosecution psychiatrist said he had “traits of autism spectrum disorder” and “conduct disorder” – symptoms of which include “excessive levels of fighting”. |
| The judge said: “On either view, you are clearly someone who finds it difficult to control your temper and to refrain from violence.” | The judge said: “On either view, you are clearly someone who finds it difficult to control your temper and to refrain from violence.” |
| A tribute to Duncan from his old schoolfriend the Newcastle-born playwright Lee Hall was read out in court. | A tribute to Duncan from his old schoolfriend the Newcastle-born playwright Lee Hall was read out in court. |
| Hall, who wrote the films Billy Elliot and Rocketman, wrote to the lawyer’s family to express his great sadness at what happened to his “kind, generous, reliable and smart” friend from childhood. The letter was read out at the request of Duncan’s mother Lena. | Hall, who wrote the films Billy Elliot and Rocketman, wrote to the lawyer’s family to express his great sadness at what happened to his “kind, generous, reliable and smart” friend from childhood. The letter was read out at the request of Duncan’s mother Lena. |
| Hall wrote: “Pete was liked by everybody, I can’t think of a single bad word anyone had about him all the time I knew him … When you’re young, you take many things for granted. I assumed back then there would always be people like Pete around. Of course, the intervening years have shown just how rare and special he was.” |