Judge sentences mother of one to year in prison over death of Dale Creighton
A mother-of-one, originally charged with murdering Dale Creighton, has begun a one-year prison term for violent disorder during the fatal attack on a Tallaght footbridge.
The 14-minute attack on Dale Creighton had begun after Aisling Burke’s mobile phone was stolen as she walked home from a night club.
She had been sentenced to five years with four suspended last week, but had been given a week to arrange care for her child. She was back before the Central Criminal Court today.
Mr Creighton (aged 20) was assaulted by a group at the bridge over the Tallaght bypass between Saint Dominic’s Road and Greenhills Road four hours after he had rung in 2014.
He died in hospital the following day. The cause of his death was blunt force injury to his head and face.
Six men and one woman were originally charged with murder and went on trial at the Central Criminal Court in October, after pleading not guilty. However, those charges were dropped on the 15th day of the trial, after they pleaded guilty to lesser charges and had their new pleas accepted.
The seven, who are all from Tallaght, had rung in the new year at a local night club. They were sentenced to various terms last week.
The court was satisfied that 23-year-old Aisling Burke, with a last address at Beechpark, Collinstown, Co Westmeath, did not inflict any physical violence on Mr Creighton.
She was sentenced to five years in prison. The court suspended the final four years for two years on condition she be of good behaviour, keep the peace and be subject to probation service supervision for two years from her release.
She did not enter the bond in court, but will do so before the governor or a deputy of the governor in prison.
As a single mother, she had been given a week to organise care for her child. Dressed in a blue jacket, black trousers and blue shoes, she nodded at her parents as she was led away today.
Members of the victim’s family had also attended.
Five of her co-accused had begun their prison terms last week. A sixth had walked free, after his sentence for possession of a knife at the time was fully suspended.
