An engineering student accused of killing an 11-year old schoolboy was today found not guilty of his murder but guilty of manslaughter.
Wayne O'Donoghue, 21, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Robert Holohan on January 4th in Cork but guilty to his manslaughter.
At the Central Criminal Court in Cork, the jury returned its verdict of not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after four-and-a-half hours of deliberations.
The body of Robert Holohan was found dumped in undergrowth near an isolated beach in Cork on January 12, eight days after he went missing.
O'Donoghue confessed to his killing on January 16 and was charged with the schoolboy's murder in April. More than 60 witnesses gave evidence during the ten-day murder trial, which attracted huge national attention.
Sentencing will take place in Ennis in January.