The mother of slain teenager Josh Dunne says the public should be allowed to see the CCTV footage of his death.
Diane Dunne, whose son Josh, 16, was stabbed to death in East Wall in January of last year, said the footage would allow people to make their own minds up about what happened to her son. She said: “That’s what we are going to fight for, for that CCTV footage to be shown to prove Josh’s innocence.
“Ever since the trial trolls are making out that he was a thug and that’s just wrong. That footage shows he didn’t get involved until his friend got stabbed.
Read more: Man to leave Ireland after being found not guilty of Josh Dunne's murder
“I think it’s up to the family when a family is going through this, to decide if that footage should be shown. We want to meet the DPP to see if we can get it. People should see it. They need to see what exactly happened.”
Brazilian food delivery cyclist George Gonzaga Bento admitted to stabbing Josh — but walked free from court earlier this summer after a jury accepted that it was in self-defence and found him not guilty of murder. During Mr Bento’s trial, the court did hear that Josh was unarmed and unknown to gardai, and that he did not attack the delivery cyclist until he stabbed his friend.
The court heard that Josh reacted by punching Mr Bento repeatedly before he was then stabbed. CCTV captured the moment that Josh separated from the group and stumbled to the ground.
And now Diane says the public seeing this video will allow them to make their own minds up about what happened. She said: “At the end of the day even if Josh did start that fight, does that give anyone the right to stab a 16 year old?
“Even though we know he didn’t because we saw the CCTV footage. Does that give a grown man the right?
“He was still a child. The CCTV footage showed Josh didn’t get involved in that fight until his friend got stabbed in the back. That’s when Josh got stabbed. I didn’t watch it but the rest of my family did. I couldn’t bring myself to watch it.”
Diane says she now hopes to meet with the Director of Public Prosecutions — and she hopes to take to the streets in a new protest. Speaking about Mr Bento, Diane says he was able to return to his family in Brazil, while she continues to grieve the loss of her son.
She said: “He walked away, he got back to his family and to see his kids. My child never gets to come home.
“Josh was meant to go to the debs the other night. I had to go over to a girl he was meant to do the debs with and my younger son whose only seven had to put the thing on her arm in Josh’s place.
“That was a big milestone for us as well. All the big milestones that he doesn’t get to see.
“Our life has changed forever. There’s always going to be Josh missing and the question of what if, what if,” But Diane says she will keep fighting — and she has to go on for the sake of her younger children.
“But at the end of the day I have two small kids who I have to keep continuing for and keep strong for.
“I will be looking into doing a bit of counselling. It’s very hard and then knowing that no one was held responsible for it is even harder.
“We were told to try and get a meeting with the DPP and speak to them. I can’t just give up, I’m his mother and now that he’s not here I’m his voice.
“And we will go back out into the streets to protest. Giving up for me is not an option. I have to keep going and fighting for what I believe in.”
After he was found not guilty of murder, Mr Bento spoke to the media and apologised, saying: “I say sorry at the beginning and at the end, hopefully one day she [Josh’s mum] could forgive me for what happened.” He added that what happened was not his intention. The Court that Josh suffered two stab wounds to the chest.
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