A PART OF ME DIED WHEN ANTHONY WAS KILLED..PLEASE DON'T LET ME LOSE ANOTHER SON TO A LONG PRISON TERM; Grieving mother begs judge for leniency as accused faces jail Man admits to knifing brother to death in row.

Byline: BY ARY ANDERSON CRIME REPORTER

A GRIEVING mother yesterday begged a judge to spare her son from a long jail term after he knifed his own brother to death.

Killer Derek McGrath sobbed in court as letters told how he had taken on the role of father to his younger sibling Anthony.

But Derek, 37, stabbed 23-year-old Anthony in the neck during a violent row after a two-day drink and drugs binge.

The pair fought after Anthony had first lashed out at fatherof-three Derek and a pal with a hatchetina dispute over a woman.

Their mum Rita McGrath pleaded with Judge Paul Carney not to deprive her of another son.

She said: "A part of me died with Tony on that day. I want justice for Tony and I know Derek must be punished.

"But I don't want to lose another son to a long prison sentence."

Dublin's Central Criminal Court heard harrowing details of the night Anthony was left in a pool of blood by her eldest.

Anthony had invited Derek and friend Joe Larkin to his house in Blanchardstown, North Dublin, for food after a family christening.

The court heard all three men had been drinking when they met at 12.30am on October 29, 2006.

Larkin told gardai he had downed seven or eight pints of Carlsberg and Derek was "very drunk".

Derek later admitted he had been drinking for two days straight after attending a 40th birthday party the previous day - and he had taken cocaine and valium at the christening party.

Soon after the pair arrived a row broke out between Anthony and Larkin over Anthony's exgirlfriend.

Roofer Anthony was angry because he had never been told his ex had temporarily moved in with Larkin.

Derek separated the two men and Larkin left the house, but he returned moments later when he heard them fighting.

The court heard Larkin pulled the brothers apart and pushed them to opposite sides of the room. Anthony left the house and Larkin and Derek got ready to leave.

But as they walked out, Anthony rushed at them with a hatchet he had taken from his work van.

He went for his brother with the weapon but struck Larkin.

As Anthony and Larkin fell fighting into the front garden, Derek went to the kitchen and took two carving knives.

Larkin told gardai he fell on top on Anthony and managed to snatch the hatchet from him.

But when Larkin looked round he saw Derek, armed with a knife in each hand, scuffling with Anthony.

The court heard when he tried to separate them again "the damage had been done".

Anthony fell to the ground clutching his right shoulder and saying "ring an ambulance".

Det Sgt Liam Kelly told the court when gardai arrived they found Derek crouched over his brother, "shouting and crying".

He kept saying he was sorry and shouting: "God let him live".

Det Sgt Kelly told the court Derek had admitted stabbing his brother and he did not resist arrest.

A postmortem by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy found Anthony had died from a single wound to the neck.

The following day in interviews with gardai, Derek said he could not remember getting the knives but he remembered sobering up while mopping his brother's blood with a T-shirt.

He told investigators: "I understood straight away what I had done. There was a lot of screaming and I knew what I had done."

Derek was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter when the DPP agreed to accept the lesser charge.

In her victim impact statement, mum Rita described the killing as "the most horrific thing that ever happened to her, made worse as Derek was responsible".

She described Anthony as a son "any mother would have been proud of" and said he was loved by his whole family - including Derek.

But she pleaded with Judge Carney to be lenient with her killer son, telling him a long sentence would only "compound her grief".

In another letter read out by Derek's lawyer Diarmuid McGuinness, she said: "I know what he did was wrong but I know he never meant to hurt him.

"He was like a father to him from the moment he was born and protected him. He never even slapped him and he was a father figure because their dad was an alcoholic.

"I'm in so much pain but a long sentence won't help because I'll feel like I'm losing two sons."

Derek, from Fortlawn Park, Blanchardstown, bowed his head and cried as a letter from his surviving brother Thomas was read.

Thomas said: "He's a respectful father to his kids and shows respect to his girlfriend Rhonda. He took on the role of father to me and Tony and I know what happened was an accident."

Derek's girlfriend Rhonda told the court he had had his problems with drink but added: "There's lots of good in him."

She pleaded with the judge not to separate Derek from his three children - a daughter aged 17 and sons aged 12 and seven.

Rhonda added: "The worst thing has already happened to him - Tony is not here."

Mr McGuiness told the court: "He feels the life he has been in for almost two years is worse than being in prison - he will suffer distress that will never go away."

Mr Justice Carney adjourned sentencing until 11am this morning.

I understood straight away what I had done.

There was a lot of screaming and I knew what I'd done Derek's life since Anthony's death has been worse than prison - he'll suffer distress that will never go away

CAPTION(S):

INNER TORMENT Derek McGrath at Dublin court yesterday Picture: GARRETT WHITE/ COLLINS