A YOUNG Drogheda man who fatally stabbed a 41-year-old father of two has been jailed for life by the Central Criminal Court after a jury found him guilty of murder.
Keith Cunningham (20), Halpin’s Terrace, Drogheda, Co Louth, had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Martin Desmond Kimmins (41), at Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, Co Louth, on December 30th, 2007.
The jury returned a majority verdict of 10 to two.
Cunningham placed his head in his hands when the verdict was read out to the court.
Prosecuting counsel Mary Ellen Ring SC told Mr Justice Paul Carney that the Kimmins family did not wish to make any further comment other than to say that Mr Kimmins’s two daughters still had regular contact with the larger Kimmins family.
The court heard during the course of the eight-day trial that Mr Kimmins had been celebrating with his brother Jim Kimmins on his 40th birthday on the night in question.
Mr Cunningham and his girlfriend, Nicola Kavanagh, were babysitting one of Mr Kimmins’s two daughters at the home of Anne Gildea, the ex-partner of Mr Kimmins and mother of his two daughters.
Mr Kimmins, who was known to be abusive when drunk, arrived at the house in the early hours of the morning looking for his daughters.
Mr Cunningham armed himself with two knives from the kitchen and went out to the front garden to confront Mr Kimmins.
A scuffle ensued, during which Mr Kimmins received stab wounds and died at the scene.