Man found not guilty of killing publican
Eddie Wing, aged 31, with a previous address at Roscrea, Co Tipperary, had pleaded not guilty to the unlawful killing of Mr Farrell, aged 64, and to burglary at the Gaelic Bar, Daingean, Co Offaly, on Apr 1, 2009.
During the burglary, Mr Farrell suffered heart failure after he was beaten, bound with a dog lead, and left to die.
The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court had spent just over four hours over two days considering the verdict.
Members of Mr Farrell’s family cried out when the verdict of not guilty was read out.
Judge Patrick McCartan thanked the jury for their service and said it had been a difficult case given the sad events involved.
He extended his deepest sympathy to the family for their great loss. He said he hoped they understood justice has its own way and has to be protected and respected.
During the trial, the main prosecution witness was described as a “jailhouse informant” and gave evidence that Mr Wing confessed to the killing while the pair shard a cell in the Midlands Prison in late 2009.
This witness, who is not being named, is a convicted burglar and a former heroin addict with no outstanding charges.
Around a month after his release from prison in Dec 2009, this man went to gardaí and told them Mr Wing broke down in tears in front of him one evening and said he had killed Mr Farrell.
There was no physical evidence connecting Mr Wing to the crime and under oath Mr Wing told the court that the prison informant was lying, adding that he did not know why.
The jury were warned a number of times of the dangers associated with the evidence from so-called jailhouse informants.
They were told that two commissions of inquiry set up in Canada described jailhouse informants as the “most dangerous type of witness” and recommended against their use in trials.
Mr Wing was remanded in custody at Cloverhill prison on other unrelated charges by the judge.
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