The sister of a 22-year-old father of two who was killed in a fatal stabbing described how she lost her best friend and has seen her family destroyed since his death.
Ms Sinéad O'Connell was giving evidence of the effect of the killing of her brother Brendan on her family on the day his killer was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years for the crime.
Sentencing Robert McNamara, of Clarina Park, Ballinacurra, Westin, Limerick, Mr Justice Henry Abbott said it was "an unjustified attack" by McNamara who has "an appalling record and tendency for violence".
In October a jury at the Central Criminal Court found McNamara not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Mr O'Connell on December 16th, 1999, at the People's Park in Limerick.
The deceased, who was from Hillview Grove, Doon in Co Limerick died from a single stab wound to the heart.
In court yesterday his sister told the court how Brendan never lived to see his second baby daughter.
"It has destroyed our life and our life will never be the same," she said.
"My brother was a good personwhen my brother was killed I lost my best friend," she said.
Det Sgt Tom O'Connor of Roxboro Garda Station described McNamara as a "habitual offender with a propensity for violence" and outlined 49 previous convictions, many of which involved the possession or use of knives.
On the night of the fatal incident he said McNamara stabbed Mr O'Connell because he was under the impression that the deceased was "going to make a move on him" . However, Dr Brian McCaffrey, a consultant psychiatrist who specialises in forensic psychiatry told the court that McNamara was in need of counselling.
He said his pattern of "bad behaviour" before and during the incident was related to sexual abuse at a young age.
"If he got real, good counselling to get him to verbalise his feelings he could emerge as a decent young man," he said.
During the trial the court heard that the deceased and McNamara did not know each other and met for the first time in a city pub on the morning of the killing.
They spent the day together before climbing over the gates of the park at around 5 p.m.
McNamara struck the fatal blow as the two men sat side-by-side drinking beer under a shelter.
Mr O'Connell was unarmed and managed to climb back over the park gates before collapsing near a monument in the street.
The trial heard that McNamara, who is also a father-of-two, lived an impoverished life and was sexually abused when he was around 10 years old.
Mr Justice Abbott took into account Dr McCaffrey's recommendations.
However, he said the set of circumstances that led to Mr O'Connell's death were not a "once-off" and followed a pattern.
"He cannot be excused by the many unfortunate circumstances that surround his life," he said.