Sentencing adjourned in mother-of-nine manslaughter case

A mother-of-nine who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her partner in Carlow more than two years ago will be sentenced on Friday.

Anne Berry (aged 43) admitted killing 36-year-old Anthony Riordan at his home in Barrow Mills, Graiguecullen in the early hours of June 5, 2009.

At a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in May Berry pleaded not guilty to Mr Riordan's murder, but guilty to manslaughter.

Prosecuting counsel, Ms Pauline Walley SC, informed the court the manslaughter plea was acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan adjourned the matter until Friday and remanded her in custody.

Mr Riordan, who was originally from Coolock in Dublin, was discovered in his house by Gardaí with stab wounds to his body and was rushed to hospital in Kilkenny where he later died.

State pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy conducted an autopsy of the body of Mr Riordan on June 5, 2009.

She found the cause of death was a stab wound to the abdomen, which went through the liver and also penetrated a number of other vital organs causing blood loss.

Dr Cassidy also noted Mr Riordan was “very heavily intoxicated” at the time of his death.

The court heard Berry has an "extensive history of contact with psychiatric services" and she is currently an in-patient of St Luke's psychiatric hospital in Kilkenny.

It also heard Mr Riordan, who had worked in the meat trade but was in receipt of disability allowance, had formed a relationship with Berry after he arrived in Carlow in March that year. She then fell pregnant but lost the baby at six-and-a-half weeks.

Berry had recently completed five months in hospital where she had achieved sobriety and had moved into Greenbanks hostel - a residence for those recently discharged from St. Luke’s.

The court heard Berry had 10 previous convictions which were “all alcohol related” including one where she presented to a garda station intoxicated and threatened self-harm.

Detective Garda Matt Phylan agreed with Mr Michael Delaney SC defending Berry had a difficulty with alcohol and self-harm.

Det Gda Phylan also agreed Berry, who was from a Traveller background, married at 18 but separated 10 years ago.

The day before the fatal incident Berry had presented herself at Carlow Garda Station to make a complaint she had been assaulted by Mr Riordan two hours earlier.

There she met with Garda Orla Ambrose who said Berry appeared intoxicated and had obvious injuries including a swollen cheek, eye and loose teeth.

The court heard throughout Berry’s dealings with gardaí, she expressed genuine remorse that Mr Riordan had died.