A Newry man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Brendan Leggett in Dundalk, Co Louth, in September 2005.
Mr Leggett, who was described in court as a 'Good Samaritan', died when he was run over by a car after he intervened in a row outside a nightclub.
At the local Circuit Criminal Court today the driver of the car, Conor O'Reilly from Newry, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Leggett.
In the early hours of 10 September 2005, Park Street in Dundalk was thronged with people coming from nightclubs.
One of them was 21-year-old Brendan Leggett from Dowdallshill in the town.
Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court was told that another was Conor O'Reilly from Warrenpoint Road in Newry. There was a row and he punched a trainee garda.
Inspector Paul Kiernan told the court that Mr Leggett and another man then stood in front of O'Reilly's car to prevent him leaving the scene until the gardaí arrived.
However, the defendant simply drove over Mr Leggett. He died in hospital four days later.
Inspector Kiernan said Mr Leggett had been acting as a 'Good Samaritan' when he was run over.
The court also heard the defendant had changed following the accident. He became more withdrawn and at one stage tried to take his life one night with alcohol and sleeping tablets. However, he changed his mind and drove his car but fell asleep and crashed it.
Veronica Leggett told Judge Michael White of the indescribable pain they still feel at Brendan's death but said they were not seeking revenge.
Through his legal team, O'Reilly apologised to the Leggetts for what he had done.
Judge White adjourned sentencing until 15 October next in Dublin to allow for a probation report on the defendant.
