A TEENAGE BOY who pleaded guilty to murdering a 20-year-old college student has lodged an appeal in relation to the life sentence imposed on him for the killing.

The murder of Cameron Blair, a student at Cork Institute of Technology, sent shockwaves through the community in Bandon Road in January after he was fatally stabbed at a house party in the city.

A 17-year-old boy was last month sentenced to life in prison for the murder, with a review after 13 years.

The teenager pleaded guilty to the murder in the Central Criminal Court. He cannot be named because of his juvenile status.

A spokesperson for the Courts Service has confirmed that an application for leave to appeal has been lodged against the severity of the sentence.

Not mandatory for juveniles

In murder cases, a life sentence is mandatory for an adult. However, such a sentence is not mandatory for juveniles.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott passed down a life sentence on the teenager with a review scheduled for November 2032.

He said the life of Cameron Blair was taken in “an act of extreme violence that was clearly deliberate and unanticipated by him”.

The teenager, in a letter of apology to the Blair family, said: “Cameron was nothing but nice to me on the night and did nothing wrong to me. It was never ever my intention for any of this to happen.”

In a victim impact statement, Cameron’s mother Kathy said: “My heart aches everyday for the loss of my son. The loneliness can sometimes be overwhelming.

“Often when I am alone in the house I scream at the injustice of this. How could someone so cruelly take the life of our beautiful boy?”

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