A Dublin man was jailed for life today for the murder of another man in a fight over the use of a phone box in the city centre more than five years ago.
After deliberating for four hours, the jury of nine men and three women at the Central Criminal Court found Gerard, also know as Gerald, Dunne (29), of Rafters Avenue, Drimnagh, guilty of the murder of Liam Thompson (20), of Woodlawn Park Grove, Firhouse, Tallaght on or about January 26th, 1999 at Dolphin's Road, Dublin.
Dunne had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Thompson.
The unanimous verdict was returned by the jury and Mr Justice Henry Abbott gave Dunne the mandatory life sentence back dated from January 29th, 1999, when the accused was first taken into custody.
The jury was told that a row between the accused and four men over the use of a public telephone kiosk escalated into a fight after which Mr Thompson was fatally stabbed with a steak knife.
Dunne's first conviction for the murder of Mr Thompson was overturned by the Court of Criminal Appeal ordering a re-trial and the second trial collapsed after legal argument.