Courts / Ireland / Report
One-and-a-half year jail sentence for woman who killed "quiet, honest" man
Summary
Norma Phillips, aged 47 and originally from Zimbabwe, was convicted of manslaughter for the killing of 36‑year‑old Romanian national Stefan Neanu on 12 April 2015 at her home on Phibsboro Road. A jury found her guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter after she was initially charged with murder. At the Central Criminal Court, Justice Margaret Heneghan sentenced Phillips to three and a half years' imprisonment with a further two years suspended, back‑dating the sentence to account for the nine months she had already spent in custody. The judge noted Phillips' previous good character, genuine remorse, early guilty plea and engagement with rehabilitation services, but also cited aggravating factors such as her initial false statements to emergency services and the Gardaí. Phillips' defence was that she acted in self‑defence after Neanu had pulled a knife, but the force used was deemed not reasonable.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: One-and-a-half year jail sentence for woman who killed "quiet, honest" man. Charges or matters: manslaughter for the killing of 36-year-old Romanian national Stefan Neanu at the killer's home on the Phibsboro Road on April 12, 2015; murder but a jury found her guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- April 12, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2017-02-20 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: manslaughter for the killing of 36-year-old Romanian national Stefan Neanu at the killer's home on the Phibsboro Road on April 12, 2015; murder but a jury found her guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter (Proven)
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; At the Central Criminal Court today, Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan sentenced her to three and a half years in prison with a further two years suspended. She added: "He will never come back from the ground and she will be out in three years." Before announcing the sentence, Ms Justice Heneghan said that she was taking into account Ms Phillips's previous good character, genuine remorse and her early plea of guilty to manslaughter that was rejected by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Places mentioned
- Phibsboro Road
- Central Criminal Court
- At Mountjoy Garda Station
Topics
Help us improve this report
Your request is saved for the newsroom's next review. It does not immediately change the published report.
Prefer email? Send a correction request.