A MAN who fatally stabbed his twin brother “in a blind rage” must live with the fact that he also killed his soul mate and best friend, the Central Criminal Court sitting in Dundalk for the first time heard yesterday.
Aodhan Donlon (29), Priorland Grove, Dundalk, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of his identical twin, Colm, in an apartment on Fair Street, Drogheda, on Sunday, September 16th, last year.
Their mother, Adeline, told the court the boys had been inseparable and Aodhan was suffering the loss of Colm too.
The family had lost another son, Kevin, from a heart attack following an asthma attack in 1992 and she said, “We have lost two sons . . . We can’t lose another son.” She said the twins “were inseparable as children, growing up, teenagers and adults. They loved each other deeply and were confidants and soul mates.”
Paul Coffey SC, prosecuting, said Colm had left the family home in Dundalk to visit his brother’s apartment on Fair Street. They spent the afternoon watching television and drinking.
Colm rang his father at 5pm to say he would be spending the night and they were having a “really great day”. Aodhan had drunk a bottle of wine, half a flagon of vodka and cans.
Neighbours say they heard raised voices from the flat at about 8pm and, at 9.40pm, one heard “get out” being shouted.
They then say they heard a thud and silence, followed by a man saying “Oh my God, please get up.” That was at about 9.40pm.
At 9.59pm, the accused rang for an ambulance, saying a man had been stabbed and was not breathing.
Gardaí arrived within minutes and found Aodhan outside the flat door. The dead man’s body was found slumped against a sofa.
The postmortem by State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy found he died from a stab wound to the trunk. There were two wounds very close together – the deeper one punctured his lung and liver, causing substantial blood loss.
Aodhan Donlon told gardaí at the scene he had stabbed Colm, and was immediately arrested on suspicion of murder.
He told gardaí that a row had broken out and Colm had punched him twice in the side of the head. He had gone to the kitchen and picked up a chopping knife.
Colm was standing up watching the television and had his back to him. He stabbed him twice in the back.
Defence counsel Derek Kenneally SC said the detail of the row and tragedy was “lost in a haze of alcohol and lost in the profound enormity of what occurred”.
He said it was a tragedy and the brothers had loved each other dearly.
“Every day for the rest of his life when he looks in the mirror he will see the man who killed his twin brother who he loved deeply,” added Mr Kenneally.
Passing sentence, Judge Paul Carney said it was a very great family tragedy.
The family was totally forgiving and the accused enjoyed their total support, he said.
He imposed a 3½-year custodial sentence dating from September 16th last.