2015-10-12
Limerick man whose murder conviction was quashed is sentenced to 11 years for manslaughter
Stage: Appeal
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Today the matter was brought before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy for sentence, where he said the case had "exceptional circumstances" as the accused was convicted of murder at the Central Criminal Court in December 2011 after a trial that lasted fourteen days but this was later quashed. "Mr Anthony Sammon SC for Coughlan said in the course of the hearing that the appropriate conviction was manslaughter and accordingly a verdict of manslaughter was substituted by the Court of Appeal," said the judge. "Then the matter was referred to me for sentencing but difficulty arose in the case because of D The judge then gave Coughlan credit for his period of custody saying: "The sentence will date from June 10 2010 and the last three years will be suspended." EVIDENCE IN CASE: Last week prosecution counsel Mr McCarthy said the deceased was living in the basement of a house and was working as a general operative in the building trade at the time of his death. "He was a gentle man but he had a drink