Court reduces sentence for fatal stabbing

THE Court of Criminal Appeal (CCA) has reduced the prison sentence from eight years to six imposed on Kelly Noble for the stabbing to death of a young mother-of-two.

Before a jury at the Central Criminal Court last March mother-of-two Kelly Noble, aged 22, Seaview in Laytown, Co Meath, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Emma McLoughlin, aged 19, who was stabbed in the chest in Laytown, Co Meath, on June 2, 2006.

Mr Justice Barry White sentenced Noble to 10 years in prison with the final two years suspended. Noble appealed the severity of that sentence.

Yesterday, the CCA found there had been an error in the original sentence and substituted it with one of eight years with the final two suspended.

Counsel for Noble, Michael O’Higgins SC, said the trial judge had erred by imposing a sentence that was at the higher end of the scale considering all the facts in the case and the personal circumstances of his client.

She was physically and verbally assaulted by Emma McLoughlin in the supermarket. Kelly Noble had tried to take the peaceful route out and got a knife to protect herself but a further incident occurred which resulted in Emma McLoughlin’s death.

Counsel told the court Noble is extremely remorseful for her actions, suffered from depression and had flashbacks as a result of what happened. He told the court, reports from probation services and clinical psychologists stated there was a very low chance of her re-offending.

Opposing the appeal, Anthony Sammon SC, for the DPP, argued the trial judge was entitled to impose the sentence that he did.