A 44-year-old man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a close friend who died in a shooting incident in Cork city last year.
Trevor O'Gorman pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Monday to the manslaughter of Diarmuid Byrne (41) at Mr Byrne's home at Plunkett Road in Ballyphehane in Cork on April 26th, 2016.
Mr Byrne, a single man, died instantly after he suffered a gunshot wound to the head from his legally held shotgun while in an upstairs room of his family home on the day in question.
Following O'Gorman entering of a guilty plea, prosecution counsel Dermot Sheehan SC applied for an an adjournment to allow the preparation of a victim impact statement by Mr Byrne's family.
Defence counsel Jim O’Mahony SC made an application on behalf of O’Gorman – of Sarahville Place, Pouladuff Road in Cork – seeking the preparation of a medical report by O’Gorman’s GP.
Judge Seán O Donnabhain granted the application for the preparation of both the victim impact statement and GP report, before remanding O’Gorman on bail for sentencing on February 17th.
Late last year, assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told an inquest at Cork City Coroner's Court how she conducted a post-mortem on the body of the late Mr Byrne.
Dr Bolster told the inquest that Mr Byrne died from severe cerebral trauma from multiple lacerations to the brain including to the brain stem due to a gunshot wound to the head.
