Alcohol abuse - Magnificent and tragic

The best and worst of Irish life were seen in the Central Criminal Court yesterday in a case involving a 31-year-old woman found guilty of the manslaughter of her former partner.

Kevin Joyce was stabbed 18 times when he appeared uninvited outside Maura Thornton’s apartment in Galway in July 2011. They had once been in what was described as a loving relationship.

In a victim impact statement the Joyce family said that Ms Thornton should be given the chance to change her life, heal herself and leave violence behind her. In the circumstances, how many of us could be so humane and generous?