A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison for the manslaughter of his brother.
Patrick Lynch had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Peter Lynch junior at the family home at Fairfield Square in Farranree in Cork during a row on 3 August 2006.
The court heard Patrick Lynch had 71 previous convictions, including one for dangerous driving causing the death of one of his best friends in 1997.
Peter Lynch jnr's partner, Susan McConville, told the court that Patrick was very remorseful for the killing and had apologised to her.
She said she did not want to see him go to prison for too long.
His mother, Susan Lynch, said she had never seen him as disorientated as he was that night.
Lynch himself told the court he had never recovered from the car accident in which his friend had died, saying his brother was his best friend.
He said he was truly sorry and not a day went by that he did not think of his brother.
Mr Justice Barry White sentenced him to 12 years in prison to begin after he has finished serving a sentence for burglary.
However he suspended the final nine years on condition that he enter into a bond to be of good behaviour and to come under the guidance of the probation services and adhere to whatever drug and alcohol treatment is recommended for him.
