Two men went to dinner in a restaurant with their families minutes after they beat a man to death in Ennis, Co Clare, the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Mr Michael Nihill (26), of Church Drive, Clarecastle, and Mr Joseph O'Halloran (30), of New Park Road, London, who are cousins, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Michael Shannon (34) on April 2nd, 2000, but deny murdering him.
Gardai told the court Mr O'Halloran and Mr Nihill later showed great remorse.
Mr Shane Murphy, prosecuting, read from a written statement Mr O'Halloran made to Garda Brendan Sheehan, saying he and Mr Nihill had been drinking for some hours and were on their way to Carney's for a Mother's Day dinner with their families.
They saw Mr Shannon with another man and Mr Shannon started "mouthing off" at them and they shouted abuse back.
Mr O'Halloran told gardai there was "bad blood" between himself and Mr Shannon. Mr Shannon had slashed him with a knife four years earlier, but that was not the main reason for the tension between them. Mr Shannon ran off and they ran after him into a lane. Mr O'Halloran said Mr Nihill and Mr Shannon were fighting when he got there. He and Mr Nihill beat Shannon a number of times and Shannon dropped down.
They later heard on Clare FM that a man had suffered a serious assault in Ennis. Gardai arrived soon afterwards and they gave themselves up.
Garda Sheehan agreed that Mr O'Halloran was fully co-operative with gardai. In a statement Mr Nihill said he had believed Mr Shannon was about to pull out a knife and decided to attack first.
Garda Ryan said Mr Nihill made a full confession and told him he had kicked Mr Shannon as he lay on the ground.