Diazepam manslaughter: Killer given five-year sentence

As Jordan Snoddy was told the sentence will be divided equally between prison and licence for the manslaughter of Robert Molloy-Jones, the victim’s sister called Snoddy a scumbag and walked out of court.

Earlier this year, Snoddy stood trial at Belfast Crown Court for the murder of Mr Molloy-Jones, 30, who died in the Parkmount Street area of Tiger’s Bay on the evening of June 28, 2018.

Whilst the jury acquitted him of murder, they found him guilty of manslaughter.

Snoddy, whose Co Antrim address is the subject of a reporting restriction, made the case he was acting in self-defence after Mr Molloy-Jones punched him then tried to steal a bag of Diazepam from him.

During today’s sentencing remarks, Judge David McFarland told Snoddy that he accepted Mr Molloy-Jones launched an “unwarranted attack” with an intention to rob the bag of Diazepam.

The judge also told Snoddy it was “perfectly proper” he defended himself initially with the three punches he threw in self-defence.

However, the judge said that despite Snoddy’s denials that he administered further kicks or punches, “it would appear there was a kick to the left neck area and that was the fatal blow. There were catastrophic consequences from that kick ... resulting in almost immediate death”.

Crown barrister James Johnston said that as well as manslaughter, Snoddy was to be sentenced for a further four offences committed in the aftermath of Mr Molloy-Jones’s death – possessing a wooden chair leg, and three separate assaults on police after his arrest.

He also revealed the fatal incident occurred when Snoddy was on bail for assaulting a paramedic.

Defence barrister Brian McCartney QC said that from the immediate aftermath of Mr Molloy-Jones’s death to the point where Snoddy gave evidence, he had always “acknowledged his culpability.”