A Limerick man was sentenced to eight years in prison at the Central Criminal Court yesterday for the manslaughter of a man shot dead outside his home in 1996.
William O'Neill (28), of no fixed abode but previously of Garryowen, Co Limerick, had denied the murder but admitted the manslaughter of Mr Sean Colbert, a father of eight, outside his home at Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, Limerick, on or about August 9th, 1996.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Murphy told the court he had taken into account that O'Neill, along with another man, had prepared for the crime and had hidden a revolver, a scanner, balaclavas and gloves near where the killing occurred.
The judge said he also took into account the fact that O'Neill had 47 previous convictions including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, larceny, burglary, criminal damage, unlawful taking of vehicles and a firearms offence.
O'Neill originally pleaded not guilty to murder but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter.