A Dublin man who stabbed his brother to death in a city street on the dead man's 30th birthday has been remanded in custody for sentence by Judge Frank O'Donnell on June 14th. William Beresford (28), single, with two children, of St Joseph's Mansions, and Avondale House, Cumberland Street North, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a charge of manslaughter on January 7th, 1997.
Det Sgt Tim Daly told Mr Tom O'Connell, prosecuting, that shortly after midnight on the night of the stabbing the deceased, Karl Beresford, left their flat with a friend to get more drink. They had already been drinking for a few hours. The deceased had taken a knife with him because he was afraid of an attack by vigilantes in the area who had accused him of having drugs in his flat.
Det Sgt Daly said another friend alerted the defendant that his brother had left with a knife and he ran to Upper Buckingham Street with the intention of disarming him. A verbal dispute concerning the knife followed and, in a rage, the deceased pulled the handle and his brother stabbed him twice in the heart and liver with the blade.
He then ran across the road and threw the knife in the basement of an adjoining flat before he returned to his brother to accompany him to hospital in an ambulance.
Det Sgt Daly said shortly after Beresford's brother was pronounced dead he admitted everything in a statement.
He told Mr O'Connell that Beresford had a drink problem and had been involved in drugs for a time. He said he and his family had suffered a lot since his brother's death.
He agreed with Mr Eamonn Leahy SC, defending, that there was no sign of animosity between the defendant and his brother before the incident and they had been in good humour. He also agreed that it was Beresford's intention to disarm the deceased and his actions were a gesture of protection to assist his brother.
Det Sgt Daly said the deceased had four children and his common law wife had come to court and had held no bitterness.
Mr Leahy said Beresford had shown genuine remorse, grief and regret for his actions. He said the incident took place in "a few moments of madness," and at first he was unaware of the seriousness of the injuries inflicted. Mr Leahy asked Judge O'Donnell to consider a lenient sentence.