Killer’s guilty plea over Limerick city row

A MAN who was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment with two suspended for killing a 20-year-old has pleaded guilty to criminal damage and weapons charges.

Quentin Monaghan, 25, who has an address at Tullamoy, Stradbally, Laois could face two years in prison if found to have committed the offences during the period of the suspended sentence.

At Limerick Circuit Court last month, he admitted producing a metal baton and damaging the front door of a house at Greenfields, Rosbrien last year.

Garda Shane O’Neill said the incident happened at the home of Mr Monaghan's former partner at around 9.35pm on October 7, 2018.

He said the incident was witnessed by gardai and that Mr Monaghan was “shouting and roaring and swinging the baton and making threats.”

After the facts of the case were outlined, prosecuting counsel John O’Sullivan said the matter could not be finalised as there was uncertainty in relation to the suspended sentence which was imposed at the Central Crimal Court in 2015. 

He requested an adjournment to allow the State to clarify the sentence.

That sentence was imposed after Mr Monaghan pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his part in the killing of Jamie Lindsay, 20, who was shot in the face by another man in Athy, County Kildare on April 6, 2013 following a row over €1,000 worth of drugs.

At the Central Criminal Court, lawyers for the Director of Public Prosecutions asked Mr Justice Michael White for a transcript of the trial judge's sentence of Mr Monaghan.

They said part of Mr Monaghan's term of imprisonment was a two-year suspended sentence but it is not clear how long it was suspended for. 

In July 2015, Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan sentenced Mr Monaghan to eight years imprisonment with two years suspended.

The trial judge said he accepted Mr Monaghan did not intend to kill or cause serious harm but described his actions as “reckless”.

In passing sentence he also noted that Monaghan had four previous convictions including one for robbery of a shop with a knife.

In mitigation he said that Mr Monaghan had pleaded guilty, cooperated with gardai and showed remorse.