Teenager who stabbed solicitor Peter Duncan in Newcastle can be named as he turns 18

A teenager who stabbed a solicitor to death at a busy shopping centrewith a stolen screwdriver can now be named as he turns 18.

Ewan Ireland, whose identity could not be revealed by the media when he was still a juvenile, already had a history of violence when he killed family man Peter Duncan, a 52-year-old father.

Newcastle Crown Court previously heard how the in-house lawyer for amulti-national maritime firm was on his way home and was "simply in the wrong place at the wrong time" when he crossed paths with the yob at an entrance to Newcastle's Eldon Square shopping centre.

The solicitor raised his arm to let the teenager past at the doorway - to whichthe youth took exception - and a struggle followed in which Mr Duncan wasfatally stabbed in the heart.

He collapsed near to a Greggs outlet in the mall, which was still busy withtea-time shoppers on August 14.

The serial criminal was on bail for affray when he stabbed the devoted fatherwith a screwdriver he had stolen from a Poundland store earlier that day.

Ireland was still 17 when he pleaded guilty last month to murder, and at thattime his identity could not be reported, despite the utmost seriousness of thecase.

Now Ewan Ireland has become an adult, section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 no longer applies.

When he murdered Mr Duncan, the teenager from the Westerhope area of Newcastle was looking for another youth with whom he had fallen out about some cigarettes.

At a previous bail hearing, prosecutor Kevin Wardlaw said Ireland and Mr Duncan came into contact with each other by chance when they were walking in opposite directions.

Mr Wardlaw said: "The deceased raised his arm to let the defendant get past. It is captured on CCTV footage. The defendant took exception to that, took hold of the deceased and a struggle ensued."

Mr Duncan managed to push the teenager off, at which point the youth stabbed him once in the heart.

He managed to walk a short distance away before he collapsed to the floor.

CCTV cameras tracked the youth's movements through the city centre and the murder weapon was found later.

Newcastle Crown Court - sitting at a hearing in September - heard Ireland had 17 convictions for 31 offences between 2017 and 2019, including an incident where he grabbed a knife during a family argument.

There was also an occasion where the threatened a driver with a blade after hem was challenged about drinking alcohol on the bus.

At the time of the murder, the boy was on bail for affray.

Ireland will be sentenced in December after psychiatric reports are preparedand is currently in custody.