A mother-of-nine who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her partner in Co Carlow has been jailed for five years.
Anne Berry (43), admitted killing Anthony Riordan at his home in Barrow Mills, Graiguecullen in the early hours of June 5th, 2009.
At a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in May, Berry pleaded not guilty to Mr Riordan’s murder, but guilty to manslaughter.
Prosecuting counsel, Ms Pauline Walley SC, informed the court the manslaughter plea was acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan handed down a five-year sentence backdating it to last Monday before remanding Berry in custody.
“It’s hard to see how this case could not have had a non-custodial outcome,” said the judge.
The judge noted Berry had been in a three-month relationship with Mr Riordan (39) and she had a tendency to enter abusive relationships. He also noted Berry reported earlier that evening to gardaí that she had been assaulted the day of the incident. However, it appeared the deceased “posed no threat to the accused at the time of his death”.
The court heard throughout Berry’s dealings with gardai, she expressed genuine remorse that Mr Riordan had died.
State pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy found the cause of death was a stab wound to the abdomen, which went through the liver and also penetrated a number of other vital organs causing blood loss. Dr Cassidy also noted Mr Riordan, who was originally from Coolock in Dublin, was “very heavily intoxicated” at the time of his death.
The court heard Berry has an “extensive history of contact with psychiatric services”. She had 10 previous convictions which were “all alcohol-related”, including one where she presented to a Garda station intoxicated and threatened self-harm.