A former security guard has been convicted of the manslaughter of his Danish wife following a week-long trial at the Central Criminal Court.
The jury unanimously cleared Joe Kinsella of murdering his wife, Bente Carroll, who was found strangled in their Dublin home two years ago.
Mr Justice Paul Carney remanded him in custody for sentencing on May 11th.
Kinsella (47) of Corduff Grove, Blanchardstown, had pleaded not guilty to murdering his 45-year-old wife at their home on May 26th, 1999.
The court heard that Kinsella killed his wife after a two day drinking spree. He attacked an ambulance man who arrived at the house soon after the killing and told gardaí that his wife was just drunk.
He also told them that someone had broken into the house while he was out and had killed his wife.
He later confessed that he killed Bente because she was "nagging" him. He said he was angry because he lost his job and because Bente had not cleaned up the house.
Kinsella told gardaí that he had choked Bente and that there had been a violent struggle. He squeezed her neck until she stopped screaming and she fell to the ground.
He panicked and fled from the house with a bottle of cider in his hand. He came back later that night and found neighbours were gathering outside the house. He let them in and they discovered Bente's body lying face down in the livingroom.
Bente's friend, Vicky Higgins, told the trial that Kinsella had choked his wife twice in the days before her death and had threatened to kill her.
She said that Bente disguised her injuries because she wanted to convince social workers to return her daughter, Tiffany, from foster care. Tiffany was in court to hear the jury's verdict.