A Cork man who stabbed his brother to death during a row at their family home has been sentenced to 12 years in jail with nine years suspended.
Patrick "Pa" Lynch (26), of Fairfield Square, Farranree, Cork city was speaking in the Central Criminal Court at his sentencing for the manslaughter of 27-year-old Peter Lynch Jnr at Fairfield Square, Farranree, Cork during the row in the early hours of August 3rd, 2006.
Lynch told the court he had never recovered from a car crash he had caused when he was in his teens which resulted in the death of a friend and now had to deal with the death of his brother as well.
The court heard Lynch had been drinking with friends on the day of his brother's death. He had gone back to the family home at around 10.30pm with three friends and continued to drink.
Lynch, who has 71 previous convictions including one for dangerous driving causing death, one for robbery and several for burglary, had completed a residential addiction treatment programme a year prior to the night in question.
A consultant psychiatrist told the court that Lynch told him he had drunk several bottles of Budweiser that night and some "Smarties" he found on the kitchen table at home. Blood tests taken on the morning after the stabbing showed zero alcohol but trace elements of benzodiazepine and cannabis.
The court was told Lynch's father tried to get him and his friends to quieten down after midnight and when they were still "shouting and roaring" he called the gardai, a call that was later cancelled.
Some time later he called Peter Lynch Jnr who lived nearby with his pregnant partner and two young children. Peter Lynch arrived at the family home at around 1.30am and a fight developed between him and the defendant during which Peter was stabbed six times in the chest and leg. He subsequently died.
Lynch's mother, Ms Susan Lynch told defence counsel these events had had a devastating effect on the family as well as on Lynch himself. She told Mr Justice Barry White she should have intervened but had never seen her son the way he was that night.
Lynch had been diagnosed as not being mentally ill but with a history of multi substance abuse and an impulsive personality.
Susan McConville, the partner of the deceased man asked Mr Justice White to be lenient on Lynch. She told him Lynch was genuinely sorry and had apologised to her and her son.
"He's trying to sort himself out. He still has a nephew and a brother out there."
Lynch told the court he had been accepted into college to complete his Leaving Certificate and pursue a course in photography in September.
Mr Justice White told Lynch there were many mitigating factors in his favour but he could not ignore the fact "that this is the second occasion that you have been responsible for the loss of a human life."
But he said he did not want Lynch to "lose all hope".
Judge White sentenced Lynch to 12 years in jail, with the final nine years suspended, to begin after a 10 month sentence Lynch iscurrently serving for burglary.