A life sentence was imposed today on a young Corkman convicted of murder and in an extraordinary moment in court the victim’s mother said that she did not want anything bad to be said against the accused and she wished him well.

The jury at the murder trial in Cork are expected to retire to consider their verdict tomorrow as the two-week trial draws to a close.

The ex-girlfriend of a man accused of murder testified today that he telephoned her and said he and others only went to the victim’s house for money and never meant to kill him.