Two to be sentenced next week for manslaughter

At the Central Criminal Court, three men have faced sentencing for their roles in a fatal shooting in County Kildare in April 2013. Darren Wynne, aged 21 of Ballyroe, Athy, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment for fatally shooting Jamie Lindsay, aged 20, at Coney Green, Athy on 6 April 2013. The jury found that Wynne discharged a sawn-off shotgun at close range, with the projectile striking the victim in the head. Wynne had initially pleaded not guilty to murder, though his guilty plea to manslaughter was rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions. He was additionally convicted of possessing a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life. Two co-accused men, Quentin Monaghan, aged 21 of Stradbally, County Laois, and James Seery, aged 21 of Athy, accepted guilty pleas to manslaughter during the trial and also admitted to possession of a sawn-off shotgun in suspicious circumstances. The court heard evidence of mutual threats preceding the incident. Both men were remanded in custody pending sentencing on 31 July 2014. On that date, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan sentenced Monaghan to eight years imprisonment, with two years suspended, and imposed a concurrent four-year sentence for the firearms offence. Seery received seven years, with three years suspended, and a concurrent three-year term for the weapons charge. In sentencing Monaghan, the judge acknowledged his guilty plea, cooperation with gardaí, and evidence of remorse, though noted the recklessness of his actions. A victim impact statement was read on behalf of the deceased's sister during proceedings.