Galway man pleads guilty to manslaughter

A 52-year-old Galway man accused of murder has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a sudden change of plea on the second day of his trial at the Central Criminal court today.

Michael Reilly, of Corrach Bui, Rahoon, Galway, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Patrick Shaughnessy, aged 28, of Coogan Park, Galway, when his trial began yesterday.

He changed his mind and decided to plead guilty to manslaughter this morning.

Prosecuting counsel Shane Murphy SC accepted the guilty plea on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mr Shaughnessy died as a result of two stab wounds to the chest after "words were exchanged" with Mr Reilly at his home at Corrach Bui on May 25, 2002.

Speaking outside the courtroom afterwards, the mother of the victim, Mrs Peggy Shaughnessy, spoke of her dissatisfaction: "I’m not really happy about it, that it only went this far" she said.

"Patrick was my only child, you don’t know what life is like without him," she added.

The court heard yesterday that in the early hours of May 25 2002 a number of men, including the deceased, called to Mr Reilly's home at Corrach Bui and "drinks were consumed".

Mr Murphy, prosecuting, told the jury that while the men were talking, "words were exchanged" between two men.

"As a result of these words, it would seem that what had been a peaceful event changed," he said.

"A number of witnesses will say they saw the defendant come towards the deceased with a knife and stab him in the chest," he said.

Mr Murphy told the jury that the accused stabbed Mr Shaughnessy twice through the front of his chest with a knife and "within a very short space of time, Patrick Shaughnessy was dead".

Two ambulance men testified yesterday to being in fear of their own safety whilst tending to the deceased in Mr Reilly’s kitchen.

Jimmy Lawless and Denis O’Neill had to lock themselves into the kitchen after they overheard a man's voice saying "I'll cut you to pieces" outside the kitchen door.

"We believed there could have been another incident if we didn't lock the doors," Mr Lawless told the court.

Presiding judge Mr Justice Barry White excused the jury from further jury service for seven years.

Mr Reilly remains out on bail until his sentence hearing on May 17.