Philip Doyle jailed for 11 years for baby's manslaughter
A 34-year-old Aughrim man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for the manslaughter of a three-month-old baby.
Philip Doyle of Tinakilly, Aughrim, was found guilty last week of the manslaughter of Ross Murphy in April 2005.
The three-month-old was the baby of his ex-fiancée Leona Murphy.
Passing sentence today, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said it was a case of assault manslaughter and went far beyond a situation where an individual lost his head.
He said it was a case of significant violence on a child in the absence of his mother.
For three weeks, the 34-year-old lied, even to medical staff, that nothing untoward had happened before he changed his story and told gardaí he had tripped and fallen while holding Ross.
The judge said that, even now, Philip Doyle did not accept the true state of affairs, before he jailed him for 11 years.
Outside court Ross's aunt Adele Murphy spoke on behalf of the baby's mother Leona, and the rest of their family.
"We will never lose the ache in our hearts and the feeling of loss. Nothing and no one will ever replace our little baby angel Ross," she said.
The Murphys said they were pleased with the sentence.
Doyle's sentence was backdated to 11 March this year.
