A Louth man involved in the violent killing of his sister's former boyfriend has been acquitted of murder but found guilty of manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court.
Mark Johnson (22), Church View Upper, Drogheda, had denied the murder of Russell Deane (28), Elmwood, Drogheda, at Mr Deane's home on February 1st, 2003. Robert Heaney (21), Hand Street, Drogheda, and Christopher Wood (27), Julianstown, Co Meath, were also charged with the murder.
Mr Heaney had not struck a blow in the attack on Mr Deane, but it was the State's case that he was part of a joint enterprise and should be held equally responsible. The jury took 7½ hours to return a unanimous verdict of not guilty for Mr Heaney and a verdict of guilty of manslaughter for Johnson.
After a further two hours, the foreman told Mr Justice Philip O'Sullivan yesterday the jurors disagreed in regard to the charge against Mr Wood. He was released on bail and a date for his retrial will be set on December 19th.
Mr Heaney was told he was free to leave the court, but was asked to return on December 19th in relation to a lesser charge.
Johnson was remanded in custody for sentencing next year.
The court had heard that Mr Deane, his girlfriend Gemma Steadman and their friend Jane Johnson - Mark Johnson's sister - moved into a house in Elmwood, Drogheda. Ms Johnson had been romantically linked with Mr Deane and was unaware that he and Ms Steadman had started a relationship.
When Ms Johnson learned the two were together, she moved out of the house and relations between her and Mr Deane soured. Pamela Woods, a friend of Ms Steadman, moved into Elmwood on January 31st, 2003, to replace Ms Johnson.
Ms Woods, Mr Deane and Ms Steadman were watching TV in the sitting room early on February 1st when they were startled by a loud bang.
Three men entered the house bearing a pickaxe, a wooden pole and the top end of a golf shaft. Ms Steadman broke down in the witness box as she recounted hearing her boyfriend scream as he was attacked.