Man gets life sentence for Roscommon murder

A 36-year-old man has been jailed for life for the murder of a young Brazilian woman in Roscommon last year.

At the Central Criminal Court, Amilton Leonel de Olivera pleaded guilty to the murder of 31-year-old Kesia Gomes Rosa at a house in Lanesboro Street in Roscommon on 19 August 2008.

The court heard that De Olivera, who was in a relationship with the victim, stabbed her through the heart with a butcher's knife.

The woman had been living in Ireland for 18 months and had been a casual domestic worker.

Gardaí told the court that she had an eight-year-old daughter being cared for back in Brazil and was sending money home. She also gave 10% of her earnings to her church, the court was told.

On the night she was killed she was staying with a cousin of the accused, having sought refuge there the previous day after a row.

De Olivera had been prevented from seeing her the day before but had asked again to speak to her after spending the day outside the house.

He was allowed into the kitchen of the house; minutes later screaming was heard and Kesia Gomes Rosa was found sitting in a chair with a knife in her chest. De Olivera removed the knife and ran from the house.

It later emerged that the knife he used had a nine-inch blade and was one he used while working as a boner in a meat factory. He had wrapped it in tissue and hid it in his belt when he went to see Ms Rosa.

He was arrested 35 minutes later and admitted the offence.

The court heard the father of one had been living in Ireland for a number of years and had a child here. He had worked at a number of meat factories around the country.