Teen who murdered lawyer with screwdriver outside Greggs is named
Written by News on 06/10/2019
A teenager who murdered a lawyer with a screwdriver outside a Greggs outlet in Newcastle can now be named as he turns 18.
Ewan Ireland had a history of violence when he targeted 52-year-old father Peter Duncan on 14 August, but his identity could not be revealed by the media when he was still a juvenile.
Mr Duncan, a lawyer for a multi-national maritime firm – https://giannicriminallaw.com/drug-crimes/, had been on his way home and was “simply in the wrong place at the wrong time” when he crossed paths with the teenager at an entrance to the city’s Eldon Square shopping centre.
He had raised his arm to let the suspect past at the doorway, to which the youth took exception. A struggle between the pair ensued and the solicitor was stabbed in the chest.
Mr Duncan collapsed near to a Greggs outlet in the shopping centre and later died of his injuries at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
Ireland, a serial criminal, was on bail for affray when he stabbed the “kind and caring” family man with a screwdriver he had stolen from a Poundland store earlier that day.
He was still 17 when he pleaded guilty to murder, so at that time his identity could not be reported.
On the day of the murder, the teenager had been looking for another youth with whom he had fallen out about some cigarettes.
Prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw previously said Ireland and Mr Duncan came into contact with each other by chance when they were walking in opposite directions.
He said: “The deceased raised his arm to let the defendant get past. It is captured on CCTV footage.
“The defendant took exception to that, took hold of the deceased and a struggle ensued.”
Mr Duncan managed to push the teenager off, at which point the youth stabbed him in the heart.
CCTV cameras tracked the youth’s movements through the city centre and the screwdriver was found later on.
The court has heard that Ireland had 17 convictions for 31 offences between 2017 and 2019, including an incident in which he grabbed a knife during a family argument.
There was also another occasion where he threatened a driver with a blade after he was challenged about drinking alcohol on a bus.
Ireland is currently in custody and will be sentenced in December after psychiatric reports are prepared.
(c) Sky News 2019: Teen who murdered lawyer with screwdriver outside Greggs is named
