Man gets six years for manslaughter of brother

A Co Clare traveller who killed his brother during an alcohol fuelled fight in Ennis has been jailed for six years by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court today.

Patrick Mc Donagh, a 28-year-old father of four, of Bridge Court, Roslevan, Ennis was convicted by a jury last month of the manslaughter of his brother Charles (aged 30) on January 28, 2007.

Sentencing him Mr Justice Carney said that there was only one other case of fratricide which he had dealt with. He said that in that case the deceased had previously taken out the eye of the accused.

He had also threatened to take out the accused's other eye. The judge said that the mother had made a moving plea on the basis she had lost one son and didn't want to lose another.

He imposed a sentence of four years' imprisonment which neither side had appealed. The judge said that in this case there was altogether far more gratuitous violence.

He said the case merited a sentence of nine years imprisonment but he took into account the character reference given to him by Bishop Willie Walsh and the fact that he was entitled to be treated as if he had pleaded guilty from the start.

Accordingly, he sentenced Mc Donagh to six years' imprisonment to date from yesterday.

The late Charlie Mc Donagh's widow, Brigid Marie, broke down in tears after the sentence was handed down.

During a five-day trial the jury was told that Charlie and Patrick McDonagh had been drinking all evening and a row had broken out.

The two men had fought on the street with a knife and an axe and after they were disarmed Patrick had picked up a knife from the ground and stabbed Charlie.