A man who stabbed an Italian boxer to death with a steak knife has been remanded in custody for sentence by Judge Frank O'Donnell. Sean Anthony "Tony" Leahy (27), single, of Glenmoy Lawn, Mayfield, Cork, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the manslaughter of Mr Roberto Minotti, (31), Haroldville Avenue, Rialto, Dublin.
The deceased man's sister, Ms Anna Spaziani, and a friend had flown in from Frosinone, Italy, to be present in court. Ms Spaziani asked prosecuting counsel, Ms Isobel Kennedy, to tell Judge O'Donnell she wanted "justice" for the death of her brother. Judge O'Donnell replied: "I will keep an open mind."
Det Insp Declan Coburn told Ms Kennedy that Mr Minotti had telephoned his girlfriend, Ms Anne-Marie Leahy, on the evening of December 8th, 1997, to arrange to visit their nine-month-old child at her home.
At this time Mr Minotti was living away from Ms Leahy as they had separated for 10 days. When he arrived he sat in the sitting room with her, their baby, her mother and another friend.
Leahy arrived soon after and went to a back room of the house to play chess with a friend. He overheard an argument between Mr Minotti, his girlfriend and her mother concerning the couple's relationship.
He got a small steak knife from the kitchenette and placed it into his back pocket before returning to the living room, where he told Mr Minotti to "keep it down, there is a baby in the house".
Mr Minotti took off his jacket and Leahy said: "You don't talk to my sister like that" before he plunged the steak knife into his chest.
Mr Minotti staggered backwards and fell face down on the floor. Defence counsel Mr Eamonn Leahy SC said the defendant then fell on Mr Minotti and cried: "What have I done? What have I done?" He said Leahy tried to take Mr Minotti's pulse but his friend exclaimed: "I think he is dead." An ambulance was called and he was pronounced dead that evening at 8.30 p.m. Det Insp Coburn agreed with defence counsel that afterwards Leahy became very upset, saying: "I didn't mean to do it. Oh my God, I never hoped this would happen." After the ambulance had left the house, Leahy set out to go to the Garda station but his mother told him to wait in the house.
Leahy stood at the open door and tried to flag down what he thought was an unmarked Garda car with plainclothes members.
When the gardai approached the front door, he said: "It's me, I'm who you want." Upset and in shock, he added: "I didn't mean to stab him." Later, in a statement to gardai, Leahy expressed concern as to what he was going to tell his nephew had happened "when he grows up". Counsel added that his client clearly had a history of psychological distress.
Det Insp Coburn said Leahy had co-operated and made a full admission and showed deep remorse and regret for what he had done. A post-mortem determined that the cause of death was the stoppage of the heart due to the accumulation of blood. Mr Minotti was a well-known boxer and accordion player in his home town of Lazio, outside Rome. Leahy had no previous convictions.
His parents separated when he was aged six and he was taken into care. His mother had a number of other children to care for at the time and found it difficult to cope.
Judge O'Donnell remanded Leahy in custody for sentence on April 22nd until the preparation of probation and psychological reports.