A prison sentence imposed on an "obsessed" husband who shot and seriously injured his estranged wife was varied by the Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday.
David Kenyon (50), originally from Devon, England, and with an address at Carrigans Upper, Ballymote, Co Sligo, was jailed for nine years at the Central Criminal Court in July 1997 after he admitted the attempted murder of his wife at their home in 1996. The court suspended the final three years of the sentence.
Following the hearing of an appeal against sentence yesterday, the Court of Criminal Appeal varied the sentence to a six-year term.
The final three years of the nine year-sentence had been suspended in the Central Criminal Court following a series of undertakings by Kenyon.
Giving judgment yesterday, Mr Justice O' Flaherty said the marriage had run into difficulties. Kenyon's wife wanted a separation but he could not face up to that. There was a row over some minor matter before he shot his wife. Kenyon's behaviour had been characterised as being somewhat obsessive. The court had been assured that he had made good progress in prison.
The court was assured the man's obsession had ceased and he wanted to leave the State. There did not seem to be any need for the suspended part of the sentence.