Understand
Man sentenced to 10 years for manslaughter of brother's girlfriend in County Cork
Overview
Joseph Butler has been sentenced to 12 years in prison with two years suspended for the manslaughter of Paula Canty, a 31-year-old mother-of-two, in Mallow, County Cork. Butler stabbed Ms Canty in the chest with a kitchen knife following an argument in January 2025 and fled the scene without calling emergency services. The judge highlighted his callousness and dismissed his claims that the stabbing was accidental.
Key points
- Joseph Butler was sentenced to 12 years in jail with two years suspended at the Central Criminal Court.
- He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 31-year-old Paula Canty after initially being charged with murder.
- Butler stabbed Ms Canty once in the chest with a kitchen knife during an argument at her apartment in Mallow in January 2025.
- The judge noted that Butler showed callousness by leaving the apartment and failing to call emergency services.
- The initial 14-year sentence was reduced due to Butler's guilty plea, apology, and background.
- Ms Canty's family delivered victim impact statements detailing the devastating emotional toll of her death.