A twenty-year-old Dublin man has been found guilty of the murder of Mr Patrick Costello at the Central Criminal Court.
Mr Jason Larkin, aged 20, of Ravensdale Road, East Wall, Dublin had pleaded not guilty to the stabbing Mr Patrick Costello, aged 31, also of East Wall, at 'The Plough' public house, Marlborough Street on July 4, 2002.
After deliberating for four hours and thirty minutes, the jury of eight men and four women returned a guilty majority verdict to murder.
Imposing sentance, Mr Justice Barry White said the only option available to him was a mandatory sentance of life in prisonment.
During the six-day murder trial the court heard that Mr Larkin stabbed the victim after the pair had been involved in a slagging match or row after drinking in the Plough bar for several hours. The court heard that the force used by Mr Larkin to stab the deceased was "not necessary in the context of what was going on.
Mr Larkin said in his statement to the Gardai that "he was acting in self defence, saying "I didn't mean to stab him, it was a collision". This was no accident", Mr McCarthy, SC, for the prosecution said during the six-day murder trial.
Mr Justice White refused leave for an appeal.