In respect of the count of murder, there is a mandatory sentence. In respect of the count of attempted murder, that carries a maximum of life imprisonment.
It seems to me clear that in any event those two sentences must, as a matter of principle, be concurrent with one another.
This was a series of events which arose as a result of your jealousy of your relationship between your girlfriend and the victim of the attempted murder.
As a result of your conduct, the harsh fact as you acknowledged in your testimony, is that this young lady is now dead at your hand.
It was clear from your testimony and from your conduct, as described by the witnesses, that you were intent upon also killing the victim of the attempted murder. You chopped him and then pursued him.
It is fortunate for him that you were intercepted. It is correct that he appears to have made a complete physical recovery from the extremely nasty and dangerous injuries which you inflicted to his head.
Even considering what is said to have been his conduct towards you and the deceased, in perhaps the least favourable light to him - and I do not suggest that that is necessarily the correct approach - but even taking it on that basis, the fact is that neither of these events need ever have occurred.
There was always a simple and obvious solution to this which you, for whatever reason, did not take, and that was simply to turn your back on the relationship with the deceased and let her and the victim of the chopping get on with their lives whilst you got on with yours.
By their verdict, the jury have rejected your claim of acting in a time of diminished responsibility. It is quite clear that you had an obsessive jealousy with this girl, and were possessive of her. You accepted in your testimony that you were intent upon revenge when you set about the victim of the attempted murder.
You also accepted in the Admitted Facts that you had armed yourself before you left your home and set off that afternoon with the intention of killing him and then, you say, committing suicide. Well you may have been in some form of emotional state at that time.
I acknowledge that you did immediately make a confession to the police when you were arrested, both concerning your intention in regard to the victim of the attempted wounding, and in regard to the fact that you had killed the deceased the previous day.
I acknowledge that you were cooperative with the police at that stage, and that from the outset you have indicated that you intended to plead guilty to the count of attempted murder, count 2.
Manslaughter is the one offence in the criminal calendar where judges are not required, as a matter of practice, to determine starting points and then make arithmetical deductions from them.
I have taken into account all the matters that I have heard in the evidence, as well as the matters I have just mentioned.
In my judgment, the appropriate sentence for you to serve on the 2nd count is one of 12 years’ imprisonment. Consequently, on count 1, you are to serve imprisonment for life. On count 2, you are to serve imprisonment for a period of 12 years, concurrently with the sentence on count 1.