The man cleared of teenager Josh Dunne’s murder will quit Ireland for his own safety, his partner said yesterday.
Cohelo Macedo admitted Brazilian George Gonzaga Bento, who stabbed Ballymun teen Josh twice in January last year, was “very concerned”.
Mr Bento, 35, was cleared of murder on Tuesday and walked free from prison after more than a year on remand.
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Ms Macedo said: “He doesn’t intend to stay in Ireland. He’s very concerned.
“Ireland is a lovely country. [But] we have seen some comments on social media that make us really worried. After all he just feels like being with his two kids at the moment, and his old parents.
“But at the end of the day we are trying to keep positive thoughts and hoping everything is going to be alright.
“We are glad we didn’t suffer any physical threat but we don’t know these people that are posting these violent comments online and he does not feel like waiting to see what they can do.” Ms Macedo said Mr Bento didn’t wish to speak further “in respect of the pain that both families have been through” but she said justice had been served, and they are now relieved.
She added: “George has two small kids and a huge family in Brazil that misses him a lot, so now he is focusing all his time and energy with his family and friends and trying to start his life again and get over this trauma.”
She said he spent his first day of freedom “at home, talking with family and friends in Brazil. He was being really missed”.
The jury at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin cleared Mr Bento of murder, producing a knife in a manner to intimidate others and two assault causing harm raps.
They found that he was acting in self-defence after being attacked as he and a colleague tried to retrieve a stolen bike in East Wall, Dublin on January 26, 2021.
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