An 18-year-old Cork man who fatally stabbed his uncle following a row over drug money has been jailed for six years.
Christopher Ruby, with an address at Ard na Gréine, Station Road, Blarney, Co Cork, was 17 when he inflicted a fatal stab wound that penetrated his 30-year-old uncle’s heart.
Shannon Ruby, who was originally from Blarney, was pronounced dead at 9.30pm on September 26th, 2009. Christopher Ruby pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his uncle last June.
Christopher Ruby, who has 17 previous convictions, was initially charged with murder but the DPP agreed to the lesser charge of manslaughter on the basis that there was provocation.
Sentencing him to six years in prison at the Central Criminal Court in Cork today, Mr Justice Paul Carney referred to a victim impact statement from the Ruby family that stated they would prefer to see him remain drug free and continue counselling.
He said that while he could not give affect to their wishes, the sentence handed down would have been ‘significantly more substantial’ had that plea not been made.
In her victim impact statement, the deceased’s mother Ursula told the court Christopher was like a son to her.
Mr Justice Carney said the case was among a “depressingly high” number of knife killings, perpetrated “largely by young people”.
In handing down the sentence, the judge said he had taken account of Christopher Ruby’s guilty plea and his young age. “Regrettably he belongs to the age category that tends to commit this crime,” he said.
Leave to appeal was refused.