Donegal man jailed for 14 years for killing Jasmine McMonagle

May 22, 2023

The man who strangled and beat beautiful Jasmine McMonagle to death has been jailed for 14 years.

Richard Burke (32) must also undergo five years of post-release supervision and psychiatric care.

Ms McMonagle, a 28-year-old mother-of-two, was strangled and beaten in her Killygordon home in the early hours of January 4, 2019.

In March, a jury in the trial of Burke found him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The unanimous verdict was returned at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Monaghan.

Richard Burke.

Burke, with an address in Killygordon but originally from Donegal town, had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.

At his sentencing today, the court heard his responsibility for the killing was ‘substantially diminished’ by a mental disorder which may have been triggered or made worse by drug use.

Mr Justice Burns said that, despite his condition, Burke knew that what he was doing was wrong, that he understood the nature of what he was doing and he could have stopped it.

He imposed a sentence of 15 years with the final year suspended for five years.

 


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