A DUBLIN MAN has signed a guilty plea to a charge of killing his sister Sandra Boyd.

Mother of five, Sandra, 36, was fatally wounded in a suspected accidental shooting incident at her house in Collins Place, Finglas, Dublin, shortly before 9pm on 19 March.

Emergency services rushed her to the Mater Hospital, but she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Her younger brother Derek Boyd, 27, also from Collins Place, was initially charged with unlawful possession or control of five rounds of 9mm Luger calibre ammunition and a Kahr CW9 semi-automatic pistol at his sister’s home address.

He did not apply for bail when he faced an emotionally charged hearing on 23 March. He has remained in custody since while gardaí sought directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

In June, Detective Sergeant Damien Mangan told the court: “It’s a complex case, there will be a substantial file submitted to the DPP on this matter, and we are asking for further, more serious charges.”

On 15 July, Detective Sergeant Mangan charged Boyd with unlawfully killing Sandra.

Following an adjournment, the case resumed again at Cloverhill District Court, where the accused signed a guilty plea. He was sent forward for sentencing at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on October 7.

Earlier, Judge Victor Blake heard that the accused replied, “I am sorry,” when the detective sergeant put the manslaughter charge to him.

At his first court appearance in March, Detective Sergeant Mangan said the accused had “no comment” to the ammunition charge, and in response to the gun possession offence, “he made no reply”.

At the outset of the proceedings, the defence said the firearms charges “relate to a terrible accident” and a “heartbreaking tragedy”. Furthermore, lawyers said they did not anticipate any bail application.

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