Two alcoholics who punched and kicked another man to death in a "wet" hostel were yesterday jailed for a total of 14 years.
Belfast Crown Court heard that while John McCullough (43), and David McBratney (41), had admitted the manslaughter of Eric Atkinson, legal proceedings are ongoing in relation to the alleged "main instigator" of the fatal attack, a man who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Jailing McBratney for eight years and McCullough for six, after he agreed to spend a further year on probation, Mr Justice Morgan said "the infliction of violence was gratuitous". However, he added "there is no sentence which the court can pass which can reverse the tragic consequences of what occurred on this night".
Speaking outside the court, Mr Atkinson's daughter, Danielle, and his sister, Elaine Sheridan, said he had been well on his way to getting his life back on track but "one step off the wagon and he ended up in that room and got killed for it".
At a previous court hearing, Ken McMahon QC, prosecuting, had told the court that McCullough and McBratney had been staying in the "crash room" of the Lee Hestia Hostel on Belfast's Brunswick Street when former soldier Mr Atkinson was attacked in the early hours of March 2nd, 2004. Deputy state pathologist for Northern Ireland Dr Alastair Bentley concluded that his death had been caused by "blunt force trauma of the head and neck" with a total of some 54 injuries but the lawyer added that the high level of alcohol in his blood was also a contributing factor.
The court heard his injuries were "indicative of multiple blows to the head", inflicted with kicks, punches, stamps "or all of them".
Mr McMahon said that although McCullough and McBratney were both originally charged with his murder, their guilty pleas to the lesser charge of manslaughter were accepted by the crown because of Mr Atkinson's level of intoxication, the defendants' drunkenness and also because the pathologist said his death was a combination of the drink and the injuries.
During police interviews McCullough told police the third man called Mr Atkinson "a tout" before walking over to him and "hitting him two big boots in the face". He admitted to having hit Mr Atkinson in the face himself but claimed the third man "kept repeatedly hitting him and kicking him in the face". McBratney also admitted to having hit Mr Atkinson three punches.