Kilkenny man Tadhg Butler pleads guilty to unlawful killing following four trials

A Kilkenny man whose fourth trial on the same murder charge ended three months ago with a hung jury has pleaded guilty to unlawfully killing his nephew's friend.

The manslaughter plea was accepted by the State and Tadhg Butler was remanded in custody until a sentence hearing on October 18. Mr Butler (37), with an address at Seafield House, Tramore, Co Waterford pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of Michael O'Dwyer on January 10, 2014.

Mr Butler first went on trial in April 2015 but the jury was discharged due to a legal issue on the first day. A second jury found him guilty a few weeks later and he received the mandatory life sentence.

But that decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal before a fourth trial earlier this year ended when the jury could not agree a verdict.

Trial evidence

Mr Butler, who was previously known as Thomas O'Grady, told his trial last April that he accidentally stabbed Mr O’Dwyer while taking a knife from his nephew to prevent him self-harming.

His nephew, Anthony O'Grady, told gardai that Mr Butler walked over and stabbed his friend with a butcher's knife. But when called to give evidence he said he couldn't remember anything, that he was a drug addict with psychiatric problems and he accepted that his uncle's version of events could be true.

READ MORE: HUNG JURY IN TRIAL OF KILKENNY MAN