9 year sentence for killing friend in row over puppy

Date Published: 31-Jul-2008

A Galway woman who is eight months pregnant has been sentenced to nine years in prison for the manslaughter of a neighbour who she stabbed to death two years ago in a drunken row over a puppy.

Una Black (26), Walter Macken Flats, Mervue, Galway, and Droim Chaoin on Bishop O’Donnell Road, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the manslaughter of John Malone (42) at the flats on December 3, 2006.

Mr Justice Paul Carney heard that Mr Malone had been looking after a puppy for Black 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 …….