A 38-year-old man today escaped jail after admitting the manslaughter of a father of four following a stag party in Cork last year.
Mr Peter Nugent, from Faringdon, Oxfordshire, was given a 12-year suspended sentence after admitting he had beaten 43-year-old Michael Kelly with a golf club and pushed him into the River Lee.
Mr Kelly was unable to swim and drowned.
The Circuit Criminal Court in Cork heard that the previous night Mr Kelly had robbed the Englishman who was attending a stag party in the city on September 22nd last year.
Mr Nugent became separated from 20 of his friends on the stag party and was confronted by Mr Kelly and another man who demanded his wallet.
He alleged they assaulted and robbed him and that he reported the crime to the police.After drinking the following day, Mr Nugent borrowed a friend's golf club and decided to try to retrieve his money.
He found Mr Kelly asleep under blankets on Albert Quay, where the alleged robbery had taken place, and attacked him with the golf club.
During the ensuing row, Mr Nugent pushed Mr Kelly and he fell into the River Lee.
Judge Murphy said the accused had been attacked while in Cork Prison and that it would be almost inhuman for him to spend more time there.
He said he was satisfied that Mr Nugent, who has no previous convictions, was not a violent character.
He said the events, which would affect Mr Nugent for the rest of his life, were influenced by alcohol and that the drowned man was not entirely innocent.
Sentencing Mr Nugent to 12 years in prison, the judge suspended the term on condition that he did not re-offend and agreed not to return to Ireland during that time.
PA