A Dublin man has been jailed for seven years for the manslaughter of a young Leitrim graduate during a robbery that went wrong.
22-year-old Michael Carroll of Lower Dominick Street admitted the unlawful killing of 22-year-old Liam McGowan in August 2006.
He punched Mr McGowan once during the incident in Dublin city centre.
Mr McGowan died later as a result of head injuries received when he fell to the ground after the assault.
A co-accused, 25-year-old Anthony Carroll of St Attracta Road, Cabra in Dublin, was jailed for two years after admitting his part in the robbery.
The court heard that both men met the victim in the city centre when he was on his way home after a night out.
He had no previous drug history but is believed to have agreed to experiment with cocaine and arranged with the accused to buy some.
Michael Carroll hatched a plan to rob him and punched him once in the face. Both accused left the scene but were later tracked down by CCTV footage.
The court heard that Michael Carroll had no previous convictions and had an exemplary work record.
Judge Katherine Delahunt said it was clear he had expressed remorse and shock after the incident and had not intended to inflict such injury.
Judge Delahunt acknowledged that Anthony Carroll was only charged with robbery and said no other charge could be imported. She said he had played a much less significant role in the incident and had co-operated with gardaí from the start.
Afterwards, the family of Mr McGowan said they were satisfied that justice had been done but were still struggling to come to terms with Liam's death.
The young NUIG graduate had moved to Dublin a short time before his death and had just started a new job in insurance.
A solicitor for the family, Roger Murray, said he, like many other young people, was on a night out in Dublin and had his whole life to look forward to and did not deserve his fate that night.
The family also expressed their gratitude to the gardaí.
