A 31-year-old man has been given a life sentence for the murder of his girlfriend last year.
Kevin Prendergast, who was living with his girlfriend Joanne Mangan in a rented house near the village of Grange in Tipperary, was sentenced at a Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork this morning.
Yesterday he pleaded guilty to the murder of 20-year-old Joanne Mangan last October.
This morning he also pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to Joanne's brother Edmund and was sentenced to 15 years (to run concurrent with the murder sentence).
The court heard Prendergast had taken a variety of drinks and drugs at a party in the house that evening.
Drinks included bacardi, vodka, cider, beer, and absinthe, and Prendergast also smoked cannabis and took Diazapan.
The court heard he had an argument with his girlfriend in their bedroom. She stormed out, and he got two kitchen knives and stabbed her 14 times, each one a life-threatening cut.
Ms Mangan's sister rushed her to the hospital, but she died before she got there.
Prendergast also stabbed Ms Mangan's brother Edmund nine times - again all life-threatening wounds.
He survived after being rushed to hospital.
The court was told Prendergast later told the gardaí that his actions were caused by the the cocktail of drink and drugs - in particular the absinthe.
Prendergast said he did not think he would have been capable of doing something like what he did and that he was deeply remorseful.
