Gardai at the scene in Castle Park following the incident in December 2023
Twin brothers plead guilty to manslaughter
Twin brothers from Tallaght felt remorse after one of them stabbed the man who was abusive to their mother eight times, the Central Criminal Court heard on Tuesday.
45-year-old Ionel Nicolae Diaconu was stabbed eight times in the chest, neck, thighs and legs in Castle Park on December 11, 2023.
Eric and Sean Farrell of Castle Park pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Diaconu, who was dating their mother and had been violent and abusive towards her.
Eric Farrell noted that the stabbing was an act of defence on behalf of his brother – both were 19 at the time.
Gardaí were told that Mr Diaconu had picked up a hammer and that Eric thought that Sean was going to get hurt by him and stabbed Diaconu before this could happen.
“I’m such a scumbag,” Eric Farrell told gardaí. “He just flipped out. I didn’t mean to kill him, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.
“I didn’t want to do this; I didn’t set out to ruin two lives.”
The mother, Tanya Farrell had moved out of the Castle Park address to a nearby relative’s home and had asked South Dublin County Council to remove Mr Diaconu from the Castle Park house, but this was not possible as he was not listed as a tenant.
The court heard that she had left her home with her two younger children after an incident in the early hours the day before Mr Diaconu was stabbed.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt remanded the twins in custody for sentencing on Monday, June 15.
