Dublin man jailed for manslaughter

A 22 year-old Dublin man was today sentenced to 12 years in prison with three-years suspended for the manslaughter of James Donoghue as part of a joint enterprise with two other men in September 2006.

Bernard Christopher Joyce also known as Brian Joyce with an address at Carton Terrace, Poppintree, Dublin was convicted last December by a Central Criminal Court jury of the manslaughter of James Donoghue (aged 26) at Dane Road, Ballymun on September 10, 2006.

The court heard that Mr Joyce and two male companions had attempted to gain access to a 21st party at Dane Road on the night of the incident but were refused.

One of the men threw a bottle into the yard of the house and a number of people who were inside came out and gave them a hiding.

Mr Joyce managed to escape unharmed and returned to his home where he met up with his two male companions.

The men armed themselves with knives and sticks and returned to the party at Dane Road and challenged those inside to come out and fight by taunting and banging their knives against the wall.

A violent confrontation ensued during the course of which James Donoghue received three stab wounds one of which punctured his heart causing death.

Mr Joyce who was 19 at the time of the incident, initially denied any involvement but later admitted stabbing Mr Donoghue twice claiming it was in self-defence.

Detective Sergeant Michael Buckley said Mr Joyce was previously unknown to the police and had no prior convictions.

In a victim impact statement read out to the court Monica Whelan mother of Mr Donoghue said; ‘not only did we lose a son and brother but we lost a best friend, someone we looked up to with all our hearts.’

James Donoghue’s fiancé Veronica O’Brien said: " I never knew I could feel such pain and now I know what a broken heart feels like."

The court also heard how Mr Donoghue’s youngest sister who was 13-years-old at the time of the incident was deeply affected by her brothers loss and has not been to school since his death.

In a letter written by Mr Joyce and read out by Defence Counsel Padraig Dwyer SC Mr Joyce described the incident as ’an act of madness.’

He said: "I’ve let down my family and brought shame on my community, travellers and settled people always had a good relationship with each other in Ballymun. I hope what happened hasn’t affected this."

Mr Dwyer told the court that in the two years since the incident Mr Joyce had cut himself off from society and spent all his time alone in his room.

Mr Justice George Birmingham in handing down the sentence said that the day had been one which started with such promise a double 21st birthday and ended in such tragedy.

He said Mr Joyce was involved in provoking a violent confrontation and had chosen to arm himself with ‘a truly fearsome weapon.’

The judge said that despite this there were mitigating factors including the accused’s youth, difficult background and lack of previous convictions.

He said ; ‘This is an offence for which the appropriate sentence would be one of 12 years however having regard to the factors identified I propose to suspend the last 3 years of that sentence.’

Mr Joyce was also sentenced to 3 years imprisonment on each of the lesser offences of violent disorder and production of a knife to run concurrently.