Pregnant Galway woman faces jail for stabbing neighbour
A Galway woman who is currently eight months pregnant will be sentenced on Wednesday for the manslaughter of a neighbour whom she stabbed to death two years ago in a drunken row over a puppy.
Una Black, aged 26, of Walter Macken Flats, Mervue, Galway, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the manslaughter of 42 year-old John Malone at the flats on December 3, 2006.
Mr Justice Paul Carney heard that the deceased had been looking after a puppy for the defendant and had become annoyed that she had not been to his flat for a week to assist in looking after it.
Mr Malone told Black that he had sold the dog so she went to his flat to retrieve it. The pair struggled and Black armed herself with a knife so Mr Malone would keep away from her.
She returned to get her dog a second time and they fought again. During that struggle Mr Malone was fatally stabbed by the defendant.
Detective Garda Tony Reidy told Aileen Donnelly SC, prosecuting, that Mr Malone received a single fatal stab wound to the upper chest at around 5.30am. Black called the emergency services and said a man was lying on the ground following a fight between two men.
Black later admitted to gardaí that she had inflicted the fatal wound during a row but said she did not know how it had happened and did not intend to kill Mr Malone. She had been drinking alcohol and taking antidepressants on the night and morning in question.
Mr Malone was found face down in a pool of blood by medics and was taken to University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6.43am. He had suffered a punctured lung but no defensive wounds.
Gardaí went to Black’s flat where she lived with her boyfriend, Thomas Donohue, and the two were arrested and questioned. Black told gardaí that the deceased had been a neighbour for around three years and that they often drank and socialised together.
Mr Malone had been drinking with her in her flat in the night in question. They argued verbally over the dog and Mr Malone was angry that Black had not brought the dog out in the past week. Black said she had not seen the dog because she had had the flu.
Mr Malone told her he had sold the dog for €135 and then left her flat. Black waited a few minutes and then went to his flat to get the dog. She told gardaí he grabbed her by the hair and they physically fought with one another.
She initially told gardaí that Mr Malone had pulled out a knife but later agreed that it was she who had taken a knife to the scene during a second attempt to get the dog. She said she knew he would come at her and she wanted him to keep away and scare him.
They struggled again and she stabbed him. She told gardaí she couldn’t understand how it had happened.
Mr Justice Carney heard that Mr Malone was a single man living on disability benefit and had one 17 year-old son. He was originally from Tullamore and was the second eldest of his family.
A letter from his mother, Margaret Malone, was read to the court by Ms Donnelly in which it was stated that Mrs Malone had not seen her son for several years but that his family were “destroyed” by what had happened. Two of his sisters were in court for the sentence hearing.
He had suffered from depression and had a problem with alcohol. His mother said “he may not have been perfect but he did not deserve to die in this way”.
Black has no previous convictions and Det. Gda Reidy agreed that he was aware that she had a history of psychiatric difficulty. She had suffered sexual abuse as a young girl and had an alcohol problem.
She was due to be tried for murder in the Central Criminal Court sitting in Galway on April 8, 2008 but failed to show up. She had gone to Wales and a European Arrest Warrant was issued for her. She returned to the jurisdiction voluntarily and has been in custody since April 11, 2008.
Defence counsel, Diarmaid McGuinness SC, said that the Director of Public Prosecutions then accepted a plea of guilty to the offence of manslaughter.
Mr McGuinness told the court that Black would often check that the deceased had eaten and that the two were friendly. He said her puppy was in Mr Malone’s flat as her boyfriend and his daughter did not like dogs.
Gardaí had been called to the flats in March 2006 in relation to an allegation that Mr Malone had assaulted Black but no complaint was made.
Upon her arrest Black had a scrape to her forearm and her clothes were badly stained which Det. Gda Reidy agreed was consistent with a struggle.
Mr McGuinness said Black deeply regretted her actions. He read a letter from her in which she said she was truly sorry and ashamed and, “wished to God she could take it back”.
She is expecting her first child and said it hurt her that the baby would be taken from her after 18 months.
A medical report detailed a history of depression, psychiatric disorder, alcoholism and incidents of self harm.
Mr McGuinness told Mr Justice Carney that Black had believed for medical reasons that she was unable to have children and was deeply attached to her puppy. She had fled the country before her trial date as she could not face it while pregnant.
Mr Justice Carney remanded her in custody until Wednesday morning when he will impose sentence.
