The mother of a seven-year-old boy who was found dead on a Co Wicklow beach three years ago has been jailed for life after pleading guilty to his murder.
Ruth Murphy entered her plea at Dublin Central Criminal Court this morning.
Karl Murphy from Milltown South, Rathnew, was found lying face down in shallow water on North Beach, Greystones in June 2001.
Detective Sergeant Malachy Crowley told the court that Ruth Murphy had a serious alcohol problem and was the subject of a barring order in 1998 in relation to the family home at Ashford, Co Wicklow. She was attending a psychiatric hospital.
The couple had married in 1991 and ran a printing business for some years, but the marriage had run into difficulties. The parents were separated 18 months ago before the child's death.
The court heard that Ruth Murphy had supervised access to Karl. On the day in question he was being minded by Ted and Jacinta Walsh in Glenealy, Co Wicklow.
She went to the Walshs' house and when Mr Walsh was upstairs and Jacinta Walsh was outside, she took Karl from the house. Ms Murphy then drove to the beach with Karl.
The boy's father had reported the child missing about two hours before the body was found by an off-duty garda, who was escorting a group of boy scouts on the beach. His mother was found in a nearby cave in an "incoherent state" and her clothes were wet.
Mr Paul O'Higgins SC, prosecuting, told the court that a post-mortem carried out by State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, found the child had bruising on his back and shoulders and six "finger sized" bruises on his neck consistent with "forcible drowning".
The court heard that Ruth Murphy had a high alcohol level of 123 milligrammes per 100 milligrammes of blood and there were traces of Librium in her system.
During the subsequent investigation, she gave gardaí a number of explanations that were not consistent with the pathological and physical evidence. The detective sergeant said surveys of the scene and of tide and currents rendered these explanations "improbable".
Mr Justice Paul Carney sentenced Murphy to the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment dating from December 29th, 2003. He also directed that a transcript of the proceedings be put on file should the Parole Board require it.
Speaking after the sentencing, the boy's father, Mr John Murphy, thanked his friends and family for their support over the past three years and commended the Gardaí for their handling of the case.
"This was a tragic loss," he said. "I will always remember Karl."
"I am glad this chapter is closed and I canmove on from here."