A man has admitted the unlawful killing of a 31-year-old mother of two in Mallow, bringing a significant development in a case that shocked the local community last year.
Joseph Butler, 43, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork to the manslaughter of Paula Canty at a flat in the Belfry, Bridewell Lane, Mallow, on January 3, 2025.
Butler, who had originally been charged with murder, entered a guilty plea to manslaughter when arraigned before the court. Prosecution senior counsel Donal O’Sullivan indicated that the State accepted the plea on that basis.
Following the plea, the court heard that the case will now proceed to sentencing at a later date. Defence senior counsel Ray Boland said his client is “very remorseful about the events of that night” and confirmed that a letter of apology has been written to Ms Canty’s family. He also outlined that Butler has a history of substance abuse and requested the preparation of a probation report.
Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford adjourned the matter until June 3, when a date for the sentencing hearing will be set. It is expected that members of Ms Canty’s family will have the opportunity to deliver victim impact statements at that stage.
At her funeral in January 2025 at St John the Baptist Church in Kinsale, Fr Robert Young spoke of the profound grief experienced by her family. “To lose a son or daughter is a particular kind of grief. It is not the natural scheme of things that a son or daughter would die before their parent,” he said.
He described Ms Canty as having “a kind heart and good nature,” remembering her as gentle, likeable, courteous and artistic.
The case will return before the court later this year for sentencing.
