Dale Creighton’s family say sentences are ‘too leniant’

Dale Creighton’s family say sentences are ‘too leniant’

 The family of Dale Creighton from Tallaght, who died after an attack on New Year’s Day in 2014, have said the sentences handed down to seven people today were “too lenient”.

Five men, all originally from Tallaght, were sentenced to between three years and seven and a half years for their part in the attack.

Tallaght bypass Bridge01 27 October 2016 1

Two other people were also sentenced for their part in the attack, that was described as prolonged and vicious.

This afternoon Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy sentenced Aisling Burke (23) of Beechpark in Collinstown, County Westmeath to five years with four years suspended for violent conduct in relation to the attack on Dale Creighton.

James Reid (26) of Glen Aoibhinn in Gorey, County Wexford, who was last to be sentenced, was handed a two-year jail term, suspended in its entirety, for possession of a knife at the scene where Dale Creighton died.

Outside the court this afternoon a family friend speaking on behalf of the Creighton family said: “Our lives dramatically changed on the morning of New Year’s Day 2014.

“Needless to say, the past few years have been extremely traumatic for our family as we have anxiously waited for this day.

“Dale was then and still is the centre of our world.

“The happiness and joy we once shared is now gone, as we can no longer enjoy Dales presence in our lives.

“It is only the unending and deep love we have for Dale that gives us the strength to move forward.

“Dale was a shy young man who loved his family unconditionally.

“He was loved by so many people.

“He had his whole life ahead of him but on that dreadful New Year’s morning those people decided it was their right to take it away.

“Because of their vicious actions we now have an everlasting ache in our hearts.

“While we appreciate the difficulty Judge Murphy had in sentencing these individuals, we as a family consider them to be too lenient, especially the one-year sentence of Aisling Burke, and the suspended sentence of James Reid.”

Earlier this morning Graham Palmer (26) of Park Avenue in Portarlington, County Laois was jailed for 10 years, with five years suspended, while Ross Callery (23) of Gortlum Cottages in Brittas, County Dublin was jailed for 10 years, with four years suspended, for his part in manslaughter.

David Burke (28) of Beechpark in Collinstown, County Westmeath was jailed for 10 years, with two and a half years suspended, while Gerard Stevens (27) of Grosvenor Square in Rathmines was jailed for 10 years, with seven years suspended, for his role in the manslaughter.

Jason Beresford (23) of Castledermot in County Kildare was jailed for 10 years, with four years suspended, for his role in the attack.

The family of Dale Creighton thanked the gardai, for what they described as an ‘exemplary investigation’.

They also thanked the prosecution team, the Garda family liaison officers and Victim Support at Court.

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