A butcher has been found guilty of murdering a shopkeeper during a robbery in Arklow over a year ago.
Anthony Farrell (20), of Marian Villas, Arklow, Co Wicklow had denied murdering John Deasy at Brauder’s newsagents in the town, in November 2009.
He stabbed him in the chest when Mr Deasy (44) confronted him after he stole €50 from the till. The father of two collapsed and died in the doorway of the newsagents within minutes of being stabbed.
The knife had gone in to a depth of 10cm, severing his aorta, and causing his lungs to fill with blood and substantial blood loss.
During the three day trial, the court heard that Farrell had arrived at Brauder’s at around 8pm, wearing a balaclava and armed with a kitchen knife. When he demanded money from the shop assistant, she screamed for Mr Deasy, who was in his apartment overhead.
He arrived at the door of the shop, also armed with a knife, and confronted Farrell.
There had been two previous armed robberies at the shop, but Farrell had not been involved in either. The two began pushing and shoving each other, Farrell later telling gardaí he was trying to get out but Mr Deasy kept kicking him back inside the shop.
He said he has ran towards Mr Deasy with the knife raised in the air, but that he had panicked and it was an accident.
Farrell was arrested two days later, after gardaí discovered a bloodstained knife and a balaclava in his garden shed. He initially denied his involvement, but during his third interview admitted that he had knifed Mr Deasy as he fled from the store.
The jury returned a unanimous verdict of murder.
Farrell will be handed down the mandatory life sentence on May 20th next, when victim impact statements will also be heard.
Mr Justice Paul Butler will also sentence him on a second count of robbery, which Farrell pleaded guilty to at the outset of the trial.