A man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for the manslaughter of mother-of-two Jasmine McMonagle in Co Donegal.
Richard Burke (32), from the Killygordon area, was found guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at Dublin's Central Criminal Courts in March, after a jury returned a verdict of not guilty for the murder of Ms McMonagle at her home in Killygordon's Forest Park in January 2019.
The 28-year-old woman was found dead in a pool of blood at her home after she had been beaten and strangled.
Gardaí forced their way into the house following a stand-off with Burke and after spotting a child at a window of the property.
Burke told officers he went "ballistic" after Ms McMonagle had called gardaí.
Both of Ms McMonagle's children were in the house at the time of her killing.
The court heard how Burke had been described by a psychiatrist as being in a "paranoid, psychotic mental state" at the time of the killing, with Mr Justice Paul Burns saying delusion was the primary pathological factor.
The judge said evidence showed Burke's mental state was also complicated by drugs and alcohol.
Burke had a history of mental illness and drug use.
Ms McMonagle had previously contacted gardaí to state Burke had been "going crazy" in the house, forcing her to leave out of fear, before he was detained under the mental health act.
Following that incident, a friend of Ms McMonagle contacted gardaí expressing concern for her safety in relation to Burke.
The court heard how Burke had previously been reported as telling someone he would like to strangle Ms McMonagle.
Mr Justice Burns said Burke had continued to deliberately misuse drugs and alcohol despite being aware of the potential effects, and had also failed to comply with his prescribed medication regime.
The final year of Burke's 15-year sentence was suspended on the condition he undergo psychiatric assessment and remain under supervision for five years after release. The sentence was backdated to January 2019 when he was taken into custody.
Mr Justice Burns described Ms McMonagle as a "loving and caring mother" who was highly regarded by family and friends.
The judge also highlighted how the victim's older daughter was still waiting for child mental health services.
A statement from the victim's family following the sentencing said: "Nothing will ever bring back our beautiful Jasmine and all we can do now is make sure she is never forgotten."
