A 29-year-old man found guilty of manslaughter has received a five year sentence in Waterford Circuit Court.
Edward Daly of 40 Belmont Heights in Ferrybank attacked a 47-year-old man at a bar in Waterford in July 2005.
The deceased, Patrick Ryan, suffered cardiac arrest hours after the assault and died six weeks after the incident.
Waterford Circuit Court was told today that on the day of the assault Daly went to JJ's Bar with his wife and her friend.
They sat close to Mr Ryan who was in the bar with a friend having watched the Waterford vs Cork hurling match at his friends house earlier.
The court was told that neither party had any contact with the other.
At around 8pm Mr Ryan went to the toilet and was followed by Daly who assaulted Mr Ryan in what has been described as an unprovoked attack.
Daly later admitted to gardaí that he headbutted and struck Mr Ryan.
Following the attack Daly left the bar and went home and changed his clothes and returned to drink in a nearby bar.
When Pat Ryan emerged from the toilet he was covered in blood.
He was taken to Waterford Regional Hospital where some hours later he suffered cardiac arrest. He never regained consciousness and died six weeks later.
Daly was charged with manslaughter and following a four day trial during which he pleaded not guilty to manslaughter but guilty to assault causing harm, a 12 person jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on the manslaughter charge.
