A 24-year-old man was found guilty on Thursday of the manslaughter of an Oughterard publican seven years ago, following a three-week trial in Galway.
Jurors took two hours and 22 minutes to find Marian Lingurar Jr (24) of Loughgeorge, Claregalway, guilty of the manslaughter of Oughterard publican and teacher, John Kenny(56).
Mr Kenny was found badly beaten, tied up and left to die alone on the floor of the ladies’ toilet in his pub on September 25th 2011.
Jurors also unanimously found him guilty of a second charge of trespassing at Mr Kenny’s pub the same night with intent to commit theft.
He had absconded from the jurisdiction in 2011, but was arrested in Cork last May and brought before Galway Circuit Criminal Court where he was remanded in custody, pending his trial this month.
Sentence in the case has been adjourned to May 8th, for the preparation of victim impact reports from Mr Kenny’s family, as well as a probation report and prison governor’s report regarding the accused.
Mr Kenny’s daughter Gillian and his wife, Kathleen cried with relief as the unanimous guilty verdicts were read out. They were comforted by Mr Kenny’s brother, Garda Jim Kenny and other family members.
Galway and Connemara-based gardai, some of whom have since retired, and who worked on the case since 2011 shook hands warmly with each other and with the family.
Denial
Lingurar Jr who, declined to give evidence during the trial, was led away in custody by prison officers, followed by two female family members.
During the trial, he had denied any involvement in the assault and robbery of a relatively small amount cash from Mr Kenny’s pocket, by a gang of men who arrived at the pub that night.
He claimed Mr Kenny was his friend and he liked him because he had given him a job as a bouncer. He said he was sad to hear he had been killed.
He told gardaí he did not know those involved and claimed he was at home in bed when others went to Oughterard, viciously assaulted Mr Kenny, robbed a ‘wad’ of notes from his pocket, tied his hands behind his back using fairy lights from the bar, and left him lying, face down on the toilet floor to die.