A Kilkenny man has been jailed for life at the Central Criminal Court for murdering a man in Kilkenny city in 2001.
After deliberating for two hours, a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict against James O'Keefe for the murder of Simon Hoyne (30).
The jury heard that O'Keefe beat and kicked Mr Hoyne to death as he returned home from a night out in Kilkenny city on the June bank holiday weekend in 2001.
The jury had heard that Mr Hoyne sustained fractures of the throat caused by possible crushing of the neck in an unprovoked attack.
O'Keefe (22), of Knockbrack, Kilree, Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Hoyne, of Reimeen, Tullarone, Kilkenny, on June 3rd, 2001, at John's Bridge, Kilkenny.
A number of Garda witnesses had testified that they came upon the scene towards the end of the attack.
O'Keefe looked at the gardaí and gave Mr Hoyne, who was lying on the ground, one final kick before running away.
He was arrested shortly afterwards.
Mr Hoyne, described in court as a quiet inoffensive man, had joined friends in Kilkenny for a few drinks after work. He went to a disco and was walking near John's Bridge when O'Keefe set upon him.
The court also heard that O'Keefe and Mr Hoyne did not know each other.
During the trial, the jury had been told that O'Keefe, a father of one, had a number of previous convictions, including criminal damage and public order offences.
His mother and members of Mr Hoyne's family, including his mother, were in court today for the verdict.
Mr Justice Carney thanked the jury and released them from further service for 10 years. He imposed the mandatory life sentence, backdated to June 2001 when O'Keefe was taken into custody.