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A former heavyweight MMA fighter and SBG Ireland coach was found guilty of manslaughter in Dublin.
According to RTE martial arts instructor Jonathan Dargan, 49, has been sentenced to six years in prison after the killing of a man who tried to intervene in a domestic dispute between Dargan and his girlfriend. Dargan killed Patrick Mullally, 56, after punching him on the Harold’s Cross Road in Dublin on March 6th, 2016.
Mullally had been out celebrating his retirement on the night of the assault. He approached Dargan when a cyclist told him of a man acting aggressively towards a woman. That same cyclist witnessed what happened next.
The witness stated that when Mullally and his friend tried to intervene in the dispute, Dargan appeared to “throw fairly powerful” punches at Mullally while shouting “bang, bang”.
After being struck Mullally collapsed and hit his head on the ground. He died in hospital the following day.
Dargan, who had represented Ireland in international taekwondo competition, claimed he acted in self-defense. A jury disagreed and found Dargan guilty of assault and manslaughter.
According to The Body Lock Dargan once coached Conor McGregor and other well-known MMA fighters during his time at SBG Ireland. According to that outlet Dargan was instrumental in SBG Ireland’s striking program.
A 2015 UFC.com article quoted SBG Ireland’s head coach John Kavanagh on the impact Dargan has had on McGregor and others at his gym. “He’s a hero to all the guys.” said Kavanagh.
Dargan holds a 1-3 pro MMA record with bouts in BAMMA and Battle Zone FC. He won the Battle Zone FC heavyweight title in his only victory as a professional. His last fight was a loss to Lukasz Parobiec at BAMMA 22: Duquesnoy vs. Loughnane in 2015.