Cork man who killed friend in drugs row speaks to victim's relatives in court

A Cork man who killed his friend in a row over drugs has been jailed for life.

Peter Jackson of Kerryhall Road, Fairhill admitted stabbing 31-year-old David Hamilton, but insisted he didn't mean to kill him.

As he was being led away to begin his life sentence, Jackson turned to the Hamilton family in the public gallery of the courtroom to apologise.

He said: “I’m sorry about this, I really am. I didn’t set out to do this”.

The 41-year-old was a friend of Mr Hamilton, who was described in court as a talented drummer who had played with bands all over the world.

On May 4, 2012, the two men went to a house on Kerryhall Road in Cork to take heroin.

A row broke out when Jackson struggled to inject his friend with the drug. Punches were exchanged and he stabbed him to death.

Jackson pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but was convicted of murder earlier this month.

Mr. Hamilton’s uncle Robert Denby read a Victim Impact Statement in court today.

He described how the family’s “world came crashing down” when they heard about the stabbing.

He said: “It’s now hard to hear drums without David to enjoy it”.