A WOMAN who had ammonia hurled in her face by a teen killer months before he murdered a dad outside Greggs is asking why he wasn’t locked up sooner.
Ewan Ireland stabbed Peter Duncan, 52, through the heart with a screwdriver as Peter stepped aside to let him through a doorway in Newcastle on August 14.
But now a female victim who was attacked by Ireland yards from where he plunged a screwdriver into Peter’s heart believes the married dad-of-two could have been saved if Ireland was caged earlier.
The violent teen attacked the young woman, in nearby Old Eldon Square, just eight months before he killed Peter.
After admitting the assault at North Tyneside Magistrate Court in March, Ireland was given a conditional discharge.
In a Facebook post written two days after Peter’s death, the woman said: “The lad who stabbed that man in town is the same lad who threw ammonia in my face.
“They had clear CCTV and I was in hospital with a burn on my eye.
“He got 12 month on licence, maybe if he got what he deserved then that man might not have lost his life.”
Newcastle Crown Court heard how Peter was heading for a bus home from work when he crossed paths with Ireland, who was armed with a stolen screwdriver, near the Old Eldon Square entrance to Eldon Square.
The then 17-year-old had fallen out with another teenager over cigarettes and was waiting for him to turn up so he could confront him.
But as Ireland left the shopping centre at the Old Eldon Square entrance, he passed Peter who was going in and heading to the bus concourse.
The lawyer lifted his arm to allow the teenager to get past and the thug took exception.
He began struggling with Peter, who pushed him away and the youth then plunged a screwdriver into his heart.
He got 12 month on licence, maybe if he got what he deserved then that man might not have lost his life
Victim
Last month, the court heard Ireland pleaded guilty to murder having an offensive weapon, namely a screwdriver, and theft of screwdrivers from Poundland.
Ireland was not named previously because he was a juvenile.
He will be sentenced in December.
After Ireland was charged one of his earlier victim’s friends also took to social media to voice her disgust.
She wrote: “So sad to think that if that lad had have had a screwdriver the night (the victim) got squirted with ammonia it would be a completely different story.
“This was avoidable but he didn’t learn his lesson.”
The day before Ireland killed Peter he made a cryptic post on Facebook about people passing judgement on others.
It said: “As long as your family and friends know the real you who gives a f**k what anyone else says. People will make up stories about you just to make themselves feel better about their miserable life.”
The teen, who admitted murder, has previous convictions including for chasing his mum Kerry, 39, down the street with a knife.
A neighbour said: “The only interaction I had with him was him telling me to ‘f*** off’ when he locked his mum out.”
Another said: “He’s a nasty little thug.”
Psychiatric reports are being prepared for December’s sentencing hearing.
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