Convicted Laois murderer understood to have died in Dublin jail

An inmate who has died unexpectedly is understood to be Portlaoise man Robert Corbet who was serving a life sentence for the killing of Aoife Phelan in 2012.   

While not confirming the identity of the dead prisoner, the Irish Prison Service have confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that a person in custody died at Mountjoy Prison on January 26.

It said all deaths in custody are investigated by the Irish Prison Service, the Inspector of Prisons and An Garda Síochána, where circumstances warrant. It added that the cause of death is determined by the Coroner’s Office.

It's been reported that the deceased is Robert Corbet, who is originally from Capoley, Sheffield Cross, Portlaoise.

Corbet was found guilty in the Central Criminal Court in 2014 of the murder of his former girlfriend sometime between October 25 and Wednesday, November 7, 2012 when her body was discovered buried in a deep hole at a property on Corbet’s land on Portlaoise's outskirts.

READ ALSO: Aoife Phelan's murder timeline

Corbett, who was aged in his early 20s at the time, pleaded not guilty to her murder but guilty to manslaughter when his case came to court.

During questioning, Corbet claimed to gardaí at the time that he snapped and punched Aoife, who was from Ballyroan, shortly after she threatened to ruin him if he walked away from her and her pregnancy.

After killing Aoife, an au pair, and burying her body, Corbet went to America, though he returned voluntarily following a request from Gardaí and others.

During the court case, Corbet said Aoife had told him that she was pregnant with his baby. He said he collected her in his jeep on the night of October 25, 2012. He said he hit her with his fist on the side of her head four or five times.

“I completely lost it,” he said. “Then I stopped and stared at the windscreen and just closed my eyes...I can pack a punch when I’m angry,” he said.

In a victim impact statement at the sentencing, Aoife was described by her family as "one in a million".

Gardaí located her body after extensive searches in the Portlaoise area and beyond. The Garda Sub-aqua Unit was called in at one stage to search the River Barrow beside the M7 motorway bridge on the Laois-Kildare border.

An estimated 2,000 people attended Aoife's funeral in Ballyroan in 2012. Guards of Honour were provided by Ballyroan Ladies Football Club and Ballyroan Brass Band. The band played a selection of poignant tunes, including ‘Abide With Me.’ The Funeral Mass heard of Aoife’s love of art, Chelsea Football Club and Bon Jovi.

In Ireland, nearly nine in every ten women who are killed are killed by a male known to them. By and large, these Intimate Partner Homicides are usually preceded by physical or mental abuse, controlling behaviour and harassment. The programme makers say separation can also be a catalyst for violence against women.