Man found guilty of manslaughter of lover

A 34-year-old man who stabbed his lover six times in the face and neck with a screwdriver was last night found guilty of manslaughter.

After deliberating for three hours, a murder trial jury unanimously convicted Martin Merrigan, aged 34, of the manslaughter of Mark Egan, aged 42, at Loreto Court, Rathfarnham, Dublin on March 1 2001.

The court had heard that the accused stabbed Mark Egan during a jealous, drunken row at their flat in the early hours of the morning.

One of the stab wounds penetrated the spine at the base of the brain and another went straight through the jaw puncturing the root of the tongue.

The court heard that both the deceased and accused were chronic alcoholics and had consumed a large volume of cider on the day of the killing.

Mr Merrigan told the jury he became enraged when the deceased "kept going on about Stevie" a security man with whom he had struck up a friendship.

In evidence, the security man, Mr Stephen Carney, said he occasionally loaned Mark Egan small amounts of money when he came into his shop.

He felt sorry for him as he appeared dishevelled and always seemed short of money.

Mr Egan would return the money on Thursdays along with thank you cards or bars of chocolate. He once offered him flowers which the witness declined to accept as he thought it was "very odd".

In his evidence, the accused man said he felt threatened that he was going to lose Mr Egan and also his home as Mr Egan was the legal tenant.

He described Mark Egan as: "the love of my life, my best friend."

As the jury returned its verdict at the Central Criminal Court, the accused said: “Thank you very much.”

He was remanded in custody for sentence on December 6. The trial judge Mr Justice Paul Carney directed that probation reports be produced.