Aidan Mann: Tragic street death of talented tattoo artist

Aidan Mann, also known as Zen Black, had customers from all over Ireland

Aidan Mann's Facebook page is frozen in time at his last post on 2 January 2022.

"Hey guys, happy new year," he wrote on the page titled Tattoos by Zen Black, before saying he had some free space if anyone was interested in coming to him for some ink.

The well-known member of Northern Ireland's tattoo artist community would be dead a mere 24 hours later, stabbed on the street by his neighbour Barry Donnelly.

Donnelly, who the court heard was "actively psychotic" when the attack happened, will spend at least nine years in prison for Aidan Mann's manslaughter.

The victim was 28-years-old and a talented artist with a special interest in the Japanese tattoo art of irezumi. People came from across Ireland to be inked by one of the best.

On his page there are beautiful, intricate tattoos of koi fish and fierce eagles.

There is his tattoo imprint of a dog's paw with the name Rocky etched underneath.

"A surprise tattoo booked for her by her aunty," he wrote. It was a surprise 18th birthday gift in memory of a beloved pet who passed away.

"I was so honoured to do this piece, happy healing!"

'We believe he was killed because of the way he looked'

Mr Mann's mother, Sonya Mann, paid tribute to her son, who she said had "the most soft soul".

"If Aidan saw a wee bee struggling on the street, he would pick it up and look after it. Aidan loved nature...loved being outside and it gave him such inspiration for his artwork," she told reporters outside court.

She said her son's heart "belonged at sea" as she recalled Aidan's love for sailing, having built a boat from scratch.

Regarding the fatal stabbing, Ms Mann said Donnelly stole her life when he killed Aidan.

"He chased my son down the street like an animal.

"The fear my son must have felt and the suffering ... that will never ever leave me," she added.

Mr Mann's friends say they want to focus on "happy memories"

Aidan's younger brother Lewis Mann has also become a tattoo artist and has a lasting reminder from Aidan - a tattoo on his left arm which was done the month before the killing.

"Aidan was different. He looked different and we believe he was killed because of the way he looked. We believe this 100%," Lewis Mann said.

"We know there were a few incidents around New Year's Eve involving the police when Donnelly was banging on Aidan's floor and banging on his door. Why was nothing done then?"

Aidan's close friend and fellow tattoo artist Louise Franklin described him as an amazing artist and a big personality.

"There would have been days where he would just dress up for the craic for Halloween and stuff and then we would go out around town in Newtownards and have lunch and I remember everyone stopping to take pictures of him dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow," she said,

She said she had gone looking for him the day he was killed as a client was waiting for him.

"I went down to Downpatrick with three other friends in the car and his body was on the road," she said.

"It didn't feel real to me on the day, it took a lot of time afterwards for it to actually sink in to me that he wasn't just away on a trip somewhere.

"I don't think there are words for the amount of loss that you feel.

"Everyone, says sorry and they're sorry for your loss and that it gets better with time, but it really doesn't."

CCTV shown in court

Everything changed on 3 January 2022 when Mr Mann walked out of his flat in Downpatrick, County Down, just before 11:00 GMT.

He had put on his motorcycle helmet. It could have been any ordinary working day.

The scene was captured on CCTV footage later played out in court.

He was approached by Donnelly, a 38-year-old a neighbour in the same apartment block.

The two barely knew each other but Mr Mann was afraid of Donnelly.

He had only been in his flat a few months, but had texted his friends to say he feared Donnelly wanted to start a fight with him.

CCTV footage of that fateful morning, shows Donnelly approach and then Mr Mann crossing the road and being chased by him along Church Street.

The fatal stabbing happened on Church Street in Downpatrick

It shows Donnelly catching up with his victim, straddling him on the ground and stabbing him repeatedly in the chest, leg and torso.

Two large kitchen knives were recovered from the scene.

People pulled Donnelly off Mr Mann and called 999. But it was too late. Mr Mann had been stabbed 14 times. He died.

Paranoid schizophrenia

Donnelly, a father of two, whose address was given as Church Street in Downpatrick, was charged with murder.

In April, a court heard he was pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The court was told that Donnelly had been "actively psychotic" when he had attacked Mr Mann.

A prosecutor told the judge that, at the scene, Donnelly shouted it was a revenge attack for his brother who had been murdered the previous evening, which the lawyer said "transpired to be completely wrong".

In the month after his arrest, Donnelly was transferred to the Shannon Clinic - a secure psychiatric unit - where he remains.

Later, the prosecution told the judge that Mr Mann's family accepted the plea of manslaughter.

Donnelly's defence lawyer said the defence recognised the "very considerable loss" felt by the Mann family and said Donnelly had expressed "regret, remorse and heartbreak".

Aidan Mann was described as "amazing"

He said his client had paranoid schizophrenia.

He had not been registered with a GP for 10 years and had never sought hospital treatment.

The lawyer said Donnelly had not been aware that he was suffering acute mental illness until after the "terrible act" that ended in the talented tattoo artist's death.

'Had a smile for everybody'

In the 18 months since Mr Mann's death, there have been tributes and memorial events.

Originally from Bangor, his family and friends in the tattoo community as well as those in the car community - Mr Mann was also a keen petrolhead - remember him fondly.

At an event in Nutt's Corner, County Antrim, held in his memory and covered by BBC Newsline, a young woman said: "He was such a lovely fella, everybody knew him and this was one of his happy places.

"We went and left flowers at his happy place. We just want to remember happy memories of him."

"He has always been a special part of me," said another woman.

"Growing up he was amazing, he had a smile for everybody."

Flick back to Zen Black's Facebook page and you'll see his final video, posted at Halloween.

He had organised a raffle with a suitably ink-based prize.

He has long blonde hair and a gentle smile.

He does a little mock bow as he announces the winner - having drawn the ticket from his motorcycle helmet, of course.