A young man has been handed a life sentence for murdering a 19-year-old man by stabbing him in the neck from behind.

Brandon Gavin, of Brookdale Road, Swords, Dublin, claimed he did it because he was in fear of his life over a drugs debt.

On February 23rd 2023, Marius Mamaliga was sitting in his car with his two friends, when Mr Gavin got into the back and stabbed him once in the neck.

Mr Gavin then ran home, dumping the bloodied knife along the way.

He later handed himself in, claiming he was acting in self-defence.

He told Gardaí it was all over a €2,500 drugs debt.

Just 24-hours beforehand, Mr Gavin was googling the sentence for murder in Ireland.

Just minutes before the attack, he was on his phone chatting to people on Tinder.

In their victim impact statement today, Mr Mamaliga’s parents outlined the “unbearable, unimaginable pain” they now live with.

They said no person has the right to rob a young man of his future, his hopes and dreams.

Mr Gavin was then handed a mandatory life sentence for murder.

Feature image: The Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin, Ireland.