Kevin Doyle was stabbed to death at his house in 2008 A Belfast woman who killed her husband by stabbing him during a heated row has been jailed for three years. Roisin Doyle, 27, from Henderson Avenue was originally charged with murdering her husband Kevin at their home in Twinbrook in September 2008. But last month, the prosecution accepted the mother-of-four's guilty plea to manslaughter. Mr Doyle's mother said afterwards that her family were happy with the sentence which was "something for Kevin". Chest The court was told that after she returned from a night out with friends, Doyle discovered that her husband, from whom she was separated, had come to the house and sent a babysitter home. The couple started to argue and Doyle got a steak knife from the kitchen and tried to cut her own wrist. She then claimed she threw the knife at her husband but later admitted to police that she struck him in the chest with it. He died in hospital several hours later. Last month on the morning her trial was due to start, the mother-of-four pleaded guilty to his manslaughter. The plea to the lesser charge was accepted by the Crown who said that while she intended to harm her husband, there was no evidence she had intended to kill him. There are no winners here, it is just sad all round

Kevin Doyle's sister, Joanne Kevin Doyle's mother Margaret said the only thing which saddened her about the case was the apparent lack of remorse shown by her daughter-in-law. "Had Roisin shown me one bit of remorse, it would have gone a long way with me," she added. "Had she done that I would have stood up for her and would have asked for even more leniency for her." Kevin's sister, Joanne Doyle echoed her mother's views at the outcome of the case. "There are no winners here, it is just sad all round," she said. On Friday, Mr Justice Treacy told Craigavon Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, that it was one of the most tragic cases he had ever encountered. He added that it was "one which posed a significant challenge to me in seeking to reach a disposal which does justice to everyone in this sad situation." Abusive The judge said the couple's relationship which had initially been a happy one had become "destructive and turbulent". "The relationship was consistently and, I suspect, mutually abusive." The judge said Mr Doyle's death had been "unexpectedly tragic" because the knife had entered his body at a precise point where it severed his mammary artery and, if the wound had been half an inch to either side, he would almost certainly have survived. "The disintegration of this marriage and all that flowed from it has brought great harm and suffering especially to the parties to the marriage but also to their sons and extended families. "It is right that a period of penal retribution should be served so that the families may feel that a price was paid for the unlawful killing of Kevin Doyle." Doyle agreed to complete two years on probation after her release from jail.



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