‘My son died on the whim of another’, says mother of Wexford man

A Wexford man who murdered his ex-girlfriend’s partner when he should have been in jail for assault has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

James Connors, aged 29, of Rosemount, Drinagh, Co Wexford, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jason Ryan, aged 27, at Hollyville Heights in Wexford on January 25, 2012. After 11 hours and 21 minutes of deliberations, the jury of seven men and five women at the Central Criminal Court found him guilty of murder by a 10 to two majority.

The victim’s mother, Catherine Ryan, wrote a victim impact statement that was read to the court by Lisa Dempsey, prosecuting.