A MAN who was on temporary release from prison when he fatally stabbed another man after finding him asleep in bed with his ex-partner and one of his children has been given a 10-year prison sentence.
John Flaherty (25), of Ard Daire, Ferrybank, Waterford, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Patrick Murphy (27) following a trial at the Central Criminal Court earlier this month.
The court heard at a sentencing hearing yesterday that, at the time of the killing on June 20th of last year, the accused was on temporary release in relation to a conviction for assault causing harm.
The previous November, he had been given a three-year prison sentence – with two years suspended – following a row with a man who owed him money. “He picked up a piece of glass and slit him in the facial area,” Det Garda Fergal O’Toole told the court.
The suspended part of that sentence was reactivated this week and Mr Justice George Birmingham yesterday imposed a 10-year sentence for manslaughter, to start when the two-year term expires, but with the last 2½ years suspended.
He said the fatal attack on Mr Murphy was “shocking in its ferocity”, and said the fact that it took place in the presence of one of Flaherty’s own children with his on-off partner Amy Quigley was “a very distressing aspect” of the case.
The court heard a victim impact statement from Mr Murphy’s mother, Margaret, which was “dignified and moving and eloquent”, according to the judge, in how it described the effect the incident had on the Murphy family. His death had left Mr Murphy’s mother in “agonising pain”, it said, and left “a huge void” in his six-year-old daughter’s life.
“This man [Flaherty] has robbed my son of his life, without a second thought of the devastation he’s caused to our family.”
Mr Murphy’s sister Belinda told reporters afterwards her family were “as happy as we can be” with the sentence. “At this stage, Mr Flaherty will be released into society again in 10 years. Our brother won’t have that opportunity.” The last year-and-a-half since Mr Murphy’s death had been “very tough”, she said. “We hope he rests in peace. We miss him very much and we’ll keep fighting for justice. We’re going to be suffering a life sentence for the rest of our years and he [Flaherty] is going to be let out after 10 years.”
The trial heard Flaherty told gardaí he “snapped” after finding Mr Murphy in bed with his ex-partner and mother of his three children, Amy Quigley, at 5am on June 20th last year. Mr Murphy, Ms Quigley and one of the children were all asleep in a bed.
Flaherty punched Mr Murphy, went downstairs, got at least one knife and stabbed Mr Murphy more than 30 times.
The accused was given a two-year concurrent sentence for assaulting Ms Quigley, causing her harm, which he admitted. He stabbed her in the leg on the night.
In her victim impact statement, Ms Quigley said she still had nightmares about the incident, as did her son, now aged four. “Since the incident, he has re-enacted what his father did that night. He has continuous nightmares,” she said.