‘Why was this man free to kill my father in the street?’
Victim’s 15-year-old son questions why teenager with 31 convictions had not been behind bars
THE 15-year-old son of a lawyer murdered at random with a screwdriver yesterday told a court he “cannot understand” why his teenage killer was free with 31 offences on his record.
Peter Duncan, 52, died of a single stab wound to the heart after accidentally brushing into Ewan Ireland, then aged 17, on his way home through Newcastle city centre in August.
Ireland reacted angrily to the collision at the entrance of Eldon Square shopping centre, lashing out with a screwdriver he had shoplifted minutes earlier.
The father of two staggered for several yards before collapsing outside the entrance to a branch of Greggs and was declared dead a short while later.
Yesterday, his assailant, who previously pleaded guilty to murder, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 15 years at Newcastle Crown Court. It emerged during the hearing that Ireland had an extensive criminal history, including several police investigations for violent offences that were hanging over his head at the time of the attack.
He had appeared in court on 17 occasions and held 31 offences on his record, the court heard, with psychiatric assessments concluding he was a “dangerous offender”.
The family of Mr Duncan expressed their anger and disbelief that the teenager had been free to walk the streets on the day he carried out the attack.
In a victim impact statement, Maria, Mr Duncan’s widow, 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.”
On the evening of the killing, Mr Duncan’s son was going to the cinema and saw the police cordon without realising his father had been hurt.
His statement said: “At the time, he [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.”
Mr Justice Lavender told the court Ireland’s criminality started at the age of 14 and he would go on to commit offences of theft, battery, public order and making threats with knives.
He was still subject to a 12-month conditional discharge for a battery offence when Mr Duncan was attacked.
Passing sentence, the judge told the killer: “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.”
The prosecution psychiatrist said Ireland had “traits of autism spectrum disorder” and “conduct disorder” – symptoms of which include “excessive levels of fighting”.
The judge continued: “You are clearly someone who finds it difficult to control your temper and to refrain from violence.”
The true extent of Ireland’s violent potential was realised at around 6.30pm on Aug 14, as he loitered outside Eldon Square carrying a screwdriver he had stolen from a shop.
Mr Duncan was walking from his office to the bus station at Eldon Square after work when he crossed paths with Ireland, who was already “behaving in an agitated and aggressive manner”.
Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, told the hearing: “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.”
Ireland stabbed the solicitor, whom he left dying as he ran off before eventually surrendering that evening.
Among those to pay tribute was Lee Hall, the Newcastle-born writer of Billy Elliot, who was a school friend. He said: “My overriding memory of Pete is what made him stand out from everyone else – his basic ‘goodness’.”