Arklow Man Who Stabbed Local Fisherman To Be Sentenced For Manslaugher In July

A sister of a fisherman who was stabbed to death in a row over a stash of drugs has spoken of her anger that he was left on the floor to "die like a dog."

Last December, Darren Houlden, of The Crescent, Meadowvale in Arklow, was cleared of Stephen Kavanagh’s murder, but convicted of his manslaughter.

In his home on May 6th 2019, Mr Houlden stabbed Stephen Kavanagh forty times during a row over a missing stash of drugs.

Stephen’s girlfriend described how she saw Houlden with his two knees on her partner’s back as he stabbed him in what was described as a “frenzied attack.”

Houlden claimed Mr Kavanagh had provoked him before the attack.

His plea to manslaughter wasn’t accepted by the DPP and he was tried for murder.

However, he was acquitted of the more serious charge.

At his sentence hearing today, Mr Kavanagh’s sister, Stephanie, described the unbreakable bond her brother had with his mother.

She said his death had devastated the family. “He had more stab wounds than years lived,” she said of her 37yo brother.

Houlden will be sentenced for manslaughter next month.