Closing arguments are underway in the trial of a man accused of the murder of 16-year-old Josh Dunne in Dublin last year

36-year-old George Gonzaga Bento, with an address at East Wall in Dublin 3, is also charged with three other offences.

Closing for the prosecution this morning, Senior Council Seán Guerin said the moment Mr Gonzaga Bento produced a knife escalated the incident that led to the death of Josh Dunne on January 26th, 2021.

Mr Guerin claimed the incident with a man on a moped who is alleged to have stolen a bike from Mr Bento's friend was a 'verbal stand-off' until the knife was produced.

He added that Mr Bento was the only person on the night with a weapon, which he used to repeatedly stab Josh Dunne when the teenager was defending his friends.

In closing for the defence, Padraig Dwyer said the 'ugly, unlawful' attack on Mr Bento and his friend was all too common in parts of Dublin City.

He said the man on the moped had beckoned the group of teenagers over to help him rob the bicycle and that he knew that those he was trying to rob from were carrying a weapon.

Mr Dwyer added that Mr Bento had lived an unblemished life before the incident and that he was sorry that Josh Dunne had died – which was the last thing he wanted.