A Cork man has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin to the manslaughter of his brother after stabbing him six times in the chest and leg during a row at their family home.
Patrick Lynch (26), Fairfield Square, Farranree, changed his plea on day nine of his trial for the murder of Peter Lynch jnr (27) at Fairfield Square, during the row early on August 3rd, 2006.
Mr Justice Barry White postponed sentencing until July 2nd to allow for victim impact and probation statements.
The jury had heard that Lynch had been fishing with friends on the day of his brother's death. He told gardaí he had four cans of beer during the afternoon.
He brought his friends back to the house he shared with his parents and younger sibling. Lynch said he had not continued drinking although his friends had had a couple of beers.
The court already heard from Peter Lynch snr who told Isobel Kennedy SC, prosecuting, that Patrick had been "hyper" all day. He was woken after midnight by "shouting and roaring" from the back garden where Patrick was entertaining his friends.
His mother, Susan Lynch, told the court that Patrick and his friends seemed drunk and a row developed about a bottle of vodka.
Mr Lynch said he called Peter jnr, who lived with his pregnant partner and their young child, after making an initial call to gardaí because things got too rowdy and he was good at calming his brother. Peter arrived a short time later and went through to the kitchen to talk to Patrick before going out to the back garden.
Patrick followed him out.
Ms Lynch said she thought they were just talking as usual. She said Patrick was very intoxicated. After the incident he was so aggressive to gardaí who had arrived that he was arrested for public order offences.
Ms Lynch told Ms Kennedy that a fight developed between the brothers and she saw Peter jnr fall. Patrick had taken a wooden-handled knife and stabbed his brother repeatedly in the chest and leg area. One witness said he shouted: "I hope you die, I hope you die, you better die."
Patrick Lynch was described as completely out of control and unable to recognise his parents when they tried to break up the fight. Later he punched his hand through a glass pane in the back door, sustaining cuts which later required hospital treatment.
Mr Lynch told Blaise O'Carroll SC, defending, that Patrick had been involved in a fatal car accident at the age of 15 which had a profound effect on him.