Murderer from Cork apologises to victim’s family

A former heroin addict convicted of murdering his friend during an argument over drugs turned to the bereaved family and said “I’m sorry, I didn’t set out to do this,” at his sentencing hearing yesterday.

Peter Jackson, aged 41, of Kerryhall Rd, Fairhill, Cork, was found guilty on November 13 of murdering Wexford man David Hamilton, aged 31, on May 4, 2012, at a house on Kerryhall Rd.

Jackson was given the mandatory life sentence by Justice Isobel Kennedy at the Central Criminal Court. During the brief sentencing hearing, Mr Hamilton’s uncle Robert Denby read a victim impact statement that described the family’s suffering since David’s death.