A court has heard the daughter of a US national believes the Galway woman who stabbed her father to death should be given the chance to ‘heal herself’ and ‘leave violence behind’.
31 year old Maura Thornton from Spiddal, was cleared by a jury in January of the murder of Kevin Joyce, but was found guilty of his manslaughter at an apartment she rented in Upper Salthill on Sunday, July 31st 2011.
Tears streamed down Maura Thornton’s face at today’s sentencing hearing as she described the man she killed Kevin Joyce as ‘kind’, ‘boisterous, gregarious, funny’.
The court heard she stabbed her ex-lover 18 times on the rooftop of her apartment after a stand-off when he appeared unannounced at her kitchen window.
She’d been drinking heavily and had had at times a ‘volatile’ relationship with the 59 year old.
She said she wasn’t sorry as sorry was for spilling tea or bumping into someone but would ‘give her left arm’ to thank the Joyce family’s forgiveness.
In a statement, the victim’s daughter Michaela said she believes Maura Thornton should ‘be given the chance to change the path of her own life’
Mr Justice Barry White will finalise sentencing on Wednesday.
