Man (22) found guilty of murdering Marius Mamaliga in Swords – The Irish Times

A 22-year-old man who messaged women on Tinder moments before stabbing his ex-friend in the neck has been found guilty of murder.

Brandon Gavin, of Brookdale Road, Rivervalley, Swords, Co Dublin, was found guilty of murdering Marius Mamaliga, 19, at Swords Forest Court on the evening of 23 February 2023.

The jury at the Central Criminal Court deliberated for nearly five hours before delivering the unanimous verdict on Wednesday.

The jury heard he told gardaí that Mr Mamaliga was “coming after him” and that he defended himself by claiming he feared for his life because he owed a €2,500 drug debt.

The hearing heard witness statements that Mr Mamaliga had sold drugs in the past and that Gavin owed him money.

The jury, who also heard that “imprisonment for murder in Ireland” was searched on Gavin’s phone the day before the stabbing, also rejected the defense case that Gavin had attacked out of fear and that he was not the murderer.

At the opening of the trial, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) barrister Ronan Kennedy SC said it was the prosecution’s case that Gavin went to meet his old friend with a knife and got into the backseat of Bay. Mamaliga’s car suddenly and without warning stabbed him in the neck.

Mr Kennedy said the entire incident lasted about 14 seconds. He told the jury that Gavin dropped his mobile phone and two HSE appointment cards in his name in the rear footwell of the car and these were found by gardaí during a technical inspection of the vehicle.

State pathologist Dr. SallyAnn Collis told the jury that despite medical attention at the scene of the stabbing, Mr Mamaliga suffered hypoxic brain damage due to lack of oxygen to the brain due to blood loss.

Garda David Durnin gave evidence to Mr Kennedy that on February 23 Gavin and his father arrived at Swords Garda station where the defendant’s father informed him that his son had been involved in a previous incident and wanted to surrender.

Garda Durnin said the defendant told him he stabbed Mr Mamaliga in self-defence because he feared for his life because he owed him a drug debt.

Witness David Octavian told the jury the seconds-long period in which a “calm and collected” attacker got into the car where he was sitting, “slowly pulled out a knife” and stabbed his friend in the neck before running away.

Further evidence was given by Detective Garda Kevin Farrell, who said he obtained data from a phone belonging to Gavin which was found in Mr Mamaliga’s car following his death.

Det Gda Farrell said that at 6.31pm on February 22, 2023, just over 24 hours before the incident with Mr Mamaliga, the phone was used to search for a “prison sentence for murder in Ireland”.

Det Gda Farrell also told the court the phone user had been interacting with dating app Tinder on the day of the stabbing.

In his closing speech, Mr Kennedy said there was clear evidence the stabbing was “planned and premeditated” and that it was “self-serving nonsense” to suggest Gavin had acted in self-defence.

After the jury of seven men and five women delivered their verdict, Judge Eileen Creedon thanked them for their time and attention during the trial and excused them from jury service for the next seven years.

The case was adjourned until December 2 for victim impact statements and sentencing and Gavin was remanded in custody.