Guilty of wife’s manslaughter

A 57-year-old Cavan man has been found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of his wife more than a year ago.

Oliver Kierans, aged 57, of Drumbannon, Bailieborough, Co Cavan, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia Kierans, aged 54, on September 5, 2013 at the same address.

He pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a 12- gauge double-barrel shotgun, but was found guilty of that charge earlier this week by the jury.

He was found guilty yesterday of the possession of the same gun with intent to endanger life by a majority verdict of 11 to one.

The jury of five women and seven men returned after more than 15 hours with a majority verdict (10 to two) of not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

The two-and-a-half week trial heard Patricia Kierans, who had been married to Oliver Kierans for more than 33 years, had moved out of the family home in June 2013.

The Central Criminal Court heard she had moved in with her sister and had started a relationship with another individual.

The jury was told this did not sit well with the accused, who had begun drinking again after abstaining for the summer.

The court heard that, of the Kierans’ four children, three had moved to Australia along with six of their 10 grandchildren.

In his testimony last week, Oliver Kierans described a “fixation” Patricia had that he was having an affair.

The court heard Patricia Kierans was shot with a shotgun at close range sustaining a very serious wound to her chest from which she died.

Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly excused the jury from service for 10 years and remanded Mr Kierans in custody for sentencing on March 26.