GUILTY PLEA 

Man pleads guilty to manslaughter of mum’s partner who died following vicious attack in rented Cork home

• Published: 18:16, 13 Jul 2023
• Updated: 18:16, 13 Jul 2023

A MAN who was on trial for murder pleaded guilty today to the manslaughter of his mum’s partner.

Jonathan (Jon) Ustic died from blunt force trauma in his rented home in Cork in 2017.

The body of the Englishman was found the morning after he was assaulted in the living room of his house, with a sofa covering his body from the waist down.

Andrew Nash, of Parnell Street in Thurles, Co Tipperary, pleaded not guilty on the first day of the trial last Monday, to the murder of Mr Ustic, on an unknown date between September 24 and 25th, 2017, at High Street in Skibbereen, Co Cork.

The Central Criminal Court heard that Nash, 43, allegedly attacked the 51-year-old, raining blows down on him, slicing his ear with a broken bottle, and then bringing a sofa repeatedly down on top of him as he lay defenceless on the floor.

The jury of seven men and five women heard two days of evidence in the case.

When the case resumed today, Nash was re-arraigned in the presence of the jury to the manslaughter of Mr Ustic, who had been in a relationship with his mother Suzanne Fenton.

Ms Fenton passed away last year.

Prosecuting counsel Sean Gillane said that the entering of a plea of guilty to manslaughter was acceptable to the State.

Nash was remanded in custody for sentencing tomorrow in Cork.