A father of five’s guilty plea to the unlawful killing of former Fermanagh GAA player Ciaran Woods, was accepted yesterday as he was about to go on trial for murder.
Enniskillen Crown Court judge David McFarland told the pre-selected jury that the prosecution were now accepting an earlier guilty to manslaughter plea by 36-year-old Gary Philip Moane, from Lisolvan Park, Brookeborough.
Judge McFarland said there had been earlier developments in the case, and that if the trial had proceeded they would have been called upon to consider psychiatric reports on Moane and his state of mind at the time of stabbing on July 20, 2010.
The judge said that the prosecution now accepted that Moane was suffering from an abnoramily of mind at the time which greatly impaired his judgment and responsibility. Earlier, prosecution QC James Lavery told the court that having consulted with the police, prosecution authorities and the family of 36-year-old Mr Woods, he was now in a position to accept Moane’s earlier guilty plea to manslaughter.