Man found not guilty of friend’s murder

A man has been cleared of murdering his friend, but convicted of impeding the prosecution after dumping his body.

Father-of-two Peter Gunn was stabbed to death five years ago and his body was dumped in a water-filled trench near Dublin Airport.

Alan Harte, aged 33, of Clareville Grove, Glasnevin, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to murdering the 28-year-old on January 4, 2009, at a flat in Cabra Park.

However, at his Central Criminal Court trial this week, Harte admitted that he had helped dispose Mr Gunn’s body at Dunsoughly Lane, The Ward.

The trial heard that Harte, Mr Gunn and two other friends had been drinking in a city pub that morning. They left in the early hours and went to the Cabra flat being house-sat by one of the men, Kastriot Boza.

Boza told the court Harte stabbed the deceased soon after they arrived in the flat and then forced him to help dispose of the body. Boza was prosecuted for impeding the prosecution and was jailed for four years in February 2012.

However, Harte claimed that Boza had stabbed Mr Gunn and that he forced Harte to help him dispose of the body.

The jury was given two options: to find Harte guilty of murder; or not guilty of murder, but guilty of impeding contrary to section 7 (2) of the Criminal Law Act 1997. The jury reached a unanimous verdict of not guilty of murder, but guilty of impeding.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded Harte in custody for sentencing on May 19.