THE TRIAL of a Limerick man ended yesterday when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and this was accepted by the prosecution.
Stephen O’Sullivan (20), Galtee View, O’Malley Park, Southill, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Mark Moloney (40) at South Claughan Road, Garryowen, Limerick, on April 5th, 2008.
Mr Moloney was fatally shot in his back as he chatted on the street that Saturday afternoon. The drive-by shooting happened minutes after he left his partner to visit his mother.
The trial, which began three weeks ago before Mr Justice Barry White, was mostly conducted in the absence of the jury as a legal issue arose early in the case.
O’Sullivan was then rearraigned yesterday. He pleaded not guilty to the murder but guilty to Mr Moloney’s manslaughter and this was accepted by the State.
O’Sullivan also pleaded guilty to possession of a Glock 9mm handgun in the early hours of that day at O’Malley Park, Limerick.
Mr Justice White explained to the jury that two shootings had occurred that day, the first in O’Malley Park, and that it was on suspicion of this that O’Sullivan was arrested that evening.
Gardaí interviewed him 14 times over the following three days.
The judge viewed the 14 tapes in the jury’s absence to determine admissibility and ruled on the issue last week.
O’Sullivan was remanded in custody for sentencing on November 29th.