Murder accused was ‘pawn’ in US election battle

AN Irishman at the centre of a high profile “booze cruise” death in the United States believes prosecutors wanted to put him in jail for life to show they were tough on crime in the run up to an election.

William Monaghan was deported last week from his adopted home of San Francisco after pleading guilty to the involuntary manslaughter of Swiss national Lionel Voillat, who died after falling into San Francisco Bay during a Halloween party in October 2002.

The 28-year-old carpenter, now back in his home town of Oldcastle in Co Meath, was handed a two year sentence but was immediately released as he had already spent 18 months behind bars following his arrest immediately after the incident.