The heartbroken mum of Josh Dunne has told how she fell to her knees in tears outside a courtroom after her son's killer was cleared.
Brave Diane Dunne revealed how the six-week trial made her relive the trauma of Josh's death all over again.
Last Tuesday, George Gonzaga Bento walked free from the Criminal Courts of Justice after a jury found him not guilty of murdering Josh.
Although Bento, who had been in custody for over 500 days, admitted to stabbing Josh, he had claimed it was in self-defence - and the jury found in his favour.
READ MORE: Family of Josh Dunne considering civil action of stabbing of Dublin teen
Within moments of the courts registrar reading the jury verdict - which also cleared Bento of three other charges - devastated Diane left the courtroom.
In an exclusive interview with the Irish Mirror, Diane told us: "When the verdict came, it was like reliving it all again.
"I never once thought in my head that it would come back like that. It didn't cross my mind, I went down on my knees outside of the court room."
A week on from the verdict, Diane's grief and pain has been compounded by online commentary labelling Josh as someone he was not.
She told us: "It makes you hurt. He was 16, a child who never was in trouble and just lived for football.
"People doing that, I hope they are never in this situation. People saying this never knew Josh, don't know our family and are putting us down. It's wrong, totally wrong."
Josh was with his friends in the East Wall area of Dublin planning on getting pizza with his friends on the night of January 26, 2021.
An incident unfolded after the accused Bento was involved in an initial confrontation with another man on a moped who had stolen his pal Guillherme Quieroz's bike.
Other youths arrived and got involved in the row but Josh only jumped in when he saw his friend stabbed and punched Mr Bento several times before he was knifed twice in the chest.
Diane said: "Lots of people are saying things online but if I could show the CCTV you see Josh did nothing wrong. He tried to help and protect his friend.
"CCTV footage showed Josh and his friends out walking and cycling their bikes, chatting and laughing with his friends like any other teenagers. Josh was never in trouble or any of his friends. They were never known to the gardai.
"Josh and his friends were not in a gang, they were just friends going to get a pizza."
As Josh left his Ballymun home the evening of his death, he told his mum "I love you", the last words Diane ever heard from him.
Sitting on a bench at a memorial for Josh across from their home, Diane told of her ongoing torment of losing him.
"I lost my son, my beautiful son. My life and family changed forever and my children lost their brother.
"I have been robbed of every birthday, every happy event, every smile, every hug, every dream I had for my son."
Addressing her boy directly she added: "Josh, I love you with all my heart. I miss you every moment of every day and always will."
Diane describes Josh as the best son a mother could ask for, saying he was "a kind, caring, funny, honest, popular, talented young man."
She continued: "Josh would light up every room he would walk into with his bright smile and big eyes. Josh had a smile like no other.
"The smile would get him away with anything, with me or for a fiver from me. As his sisters and brothers would say, golden balls has you wrapped around your finger as he wore my dressing gown.
"Josh was always helpful to others and would never speak about the kind things he did for people in the community."
Josh was a talented footballer with a future destined to make it as a professional having played for Bohemians and St Kevin's football clubs.
He also had a trial with Scottish Premier Division side Dundee United, but it was interrupted by Covid-19.
Diane said: "Josh loved football and it was his life. He even went to bed with a football. Every football manager could not speak highly enough of him. His teachers in all of his schools enjoyed having Josh in their classroom.
"If I rang and told the school that Josh was sick on a given day, the school would resPond: 'Do you think he'll be OK for tomorrow as we have a match.'"
Diane, her loyal family and friends are hoping to hold a peaceful demonstration outside the Dail, which will make its way over to East Wall next Tuesday, June 28.
They want to highlight that Josh did not get the "justice he deserved" but also highlight the person he was.
