Corkman acquitted of murder

A 31-year-old Corkman has been acquitted of murder but found guilty of the manslaughter of one of his neighbours at the Central Criminal Court today.

After deliberating for four and half hours, the jury of six men and six women found Mr Keith O’Donovan, of Spriggs Road, Gurranabraher, Cork, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter of Noel McCarthy, aged 28, on May 4, 2000.

Mr O’Donovan’s mother and brother hugged him and sobbed loudly in court as the verdict was read out.

The mother of the victim, Mrs Mary McCarthy sat with her son and one of her daughters, at the back of the court. They left in tears immediately after they heard the verdict.

The court remanded Mr O’Donovan in custody for sentencing on October 8. Mr O’Donovan had been found guilty of the murder of Mr McCarthy by a jury during a previous trial on June 28, 2002.

The Court of Criminal Appeal granted him a re-trial and he pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter when arraigned at the start of the re-trial last week. He pleaded provocation as his defence.

Discharging the jury, Mr Justice Paul Butler excused them from jury service for five years.