Man jailed for Cork manslaughter

A man (31) has been jailed for six years today after he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a father-of-three in Macroom last year.

John O'Driscoll from Dan Corkery Place, Macroom pleaded guily at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to the unlawful killing of Don Geasley at a house in Masseytown, Macroom between September 14th and September 15th, 2011.

Sgt Alec Butler told the court that the two men had been drinking earlier that evening around Macroom before returning to Mr Geasley's home where a row broke out.

Mr Geasley suffered 23 different bruises to his head and neck but it was only one of three factors which contributed to his death, a post-mortem found, the court heard.

The other factors which contributed to Mr Geasley's death was his high level of alcohol concentration - 371mgs per 100 mls of blood - and the fact that O'Driscoll had left him lying in a position that led to positional asphyxia.

Mr Geasley, a native of Cork city, was found lying in a pool of blood in the back yard of the terraced house by his landlord on the morning of September 15th and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Imposing sentence, Judge Sean O Donnabhain jailed O'Driscoll - who had five previous convictions for assault - for a period of six years backdated to last October when he went into custody.