Farmer gets life for law student’s murder

A farmer was yesterday sentenced to life in prison for murdering a male student who, the accused claimed, had “made a pass” at him.

The severely beaten body of Eoin Ryan, aged 21, was found two years ago, in a barrel, in a field after landowner Joe Heffernan called gardaí to report “killing the devil” there.

Heffernan, aged 33, of Cappagh Beg, Barefield, Ennis, Co Clare, had pleaded not guilty to murdering the law student at that address on Jun 7, 2011.