Aidan Mann, 28, was a tattoo artist based in Bangor
By Maria McCann
BBC News NI north-east reporter
A man will spend at least nine years in prison for the killing of Northern Ireland tattoo artist Aidan Mann.
Mr Mann, 28, known as artist Zen Black, was stabbed 14 times at Church Street in Downpatrick, in January 2022.
The court said that he was an entirely innocent victim who did nothing to provoke the fatal attack.
Barry Donnelly, 38, whose address was given as Church Street in Downpatrick, admitted manslaughter pleading diminished responsibility.
He was given an indeterminate custodial sentence at Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday.
The judge said Donnelly must serve at least nine years in prison before he is eligible to be considered for release.
A previous hearing was told that Donnelly had been “actively psychotic” at the time of the attack.
He also pleaded guilty to the offences of possession of offensive weapons and assault occasioning actual bodily harm relating to a previous attack on a mother and son in June 2021.
Chase
CCTV footage shown in court traced Donnelly’s movements on that day of Mr Mann’s death.
The two were neighbours – although they barely knew each other.
The deceased left his flat at about 11:00 GMT. After being approached by Donnelly, Mr Mann crossed the road and started running along Church Street, still wearing a motorcycle helmet and being chased by his armed pursuer.
Image source, Pacemaker
The fatal stabbing happened on Church Street in Downpatrick
The chase continued and, at one point, Mr Mann turned round, looked back at Donnelly and appeared to gesture at him before he crossed the road into oncoming traffic.
The CCTV footage then showed Donnelly catching up with Mr Mann on the pavement outside a car dealership.
After Mr Mann fell to the ground, Donnelly straddled him and stabbed him repeatedly in the chest, leg and torso.
Members of the public intervened, pulled Donnelly off Mr Mann and called 999. He was arrested while still being restrained by the public.
Two large kitchen knifes used by Donnelly were seized from the scene.
A prosecutor at an earlier hearing said that at the scene Donnelly shouted it was a revenge attack for his brother who had been murdered the previous evening, which the lawyer said “transpired to be completely wrong”.
Donnelly was admitted to a psychiatric unit – the Shannon clinic – in the month after the killing where he remains.
Two consultant psychiatrists agreed that the defendant was suffering from an abnormality of mental functioning arising from schizophrenia at the time of the attack.
A psychiatrist indicated that he would probably not need to remain for treatment much longer and envisaged him moving to prison.
Donnelly’s defence barrister told the court that his client had not been aware that he was suffering from acute mental illness until after the “terrible act” in which Mr Mann died.
He said his client has expressed “regret, remorse and heartbreak”.
‘Senseless attack’
Image source, Family handout
Aidan Mann was worried about Donnelly’s behaviour
PSNI Det Insp Foreman said said the “senseless” attack had happened in the late morning, “when members of the public were going about their business”.
The detective thanked those who ran to Mr Mann’s assistance and who phoned emergency services.
“There are no words that can undo the tragic events of that morning,” he added.
“There’s nothing that can ease the pain and sadness of those who knew and loved Aidan, and my thoughts are very much with them today.”
