A Dublin man who kicked his girlfriend to death was jailed for four years by Mr Justice Carney at the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
Laurence (Larry) Callaghan (34), of St Mary's Road, Crumlin, Dublin, was convicted by a jury last month of the manslaughter of Ms Janet Mooney (29), between September 17th and 19th, 1996, at the flat they shared at Harrington Street, Dublin. Callaghan admitted during a five-day trial that he kicked Ms Mooney in the head after they had a row over a piece of cannabis he thought she had hidden from him. Both of them had been drinking all day and had already smoked cannabis before the row.
The jury heard that gardai later found the piece of cannabis on a shelf in the bedroom of their flat. Callaghan said he hit Ms Mooney over the head with a soup bowl then hit her in the face with his fist and kicked her. He said he then tried to clear her mouth of blood by pouring water on her but failed and believing she was dying turned to leave the flat.
He also told the jury that after leaving Ms Mooney's body he went to a pub for more drink and got more cannabis in Dolphin's Barn. He said he returned to the flat, fell asleep beside the dead body and had sex with it the next morning before realising that Ms Mooney was dead.
At a previous trial last October the jury was discharged after failing to agree a verdict and a retrial was ordered. The judge sentenced Callaghan to four years imprisonment to date from June 12th, 1999.