A man was jailed for life by a judge in the Central Criminal Court yesterday after he was convicted of murdering another man with a slash-hook in 1996.
David `Minor Charge' McDonagh (44), of St Joseph's Park, Dunsink, Finglas, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Timothy `Hand-shaker' Joyce (46), of Lydd Caravan Site, Romney Marshes, Kent, on November 9th, 1996, in St Helena's Drive, Finglas.
He had also pleaded not guilty to violent disorder and possession of a bill hook intended to cause injury or to intimidate at St Helena's Drive on the same date.
McDonagh was found guilty on all three counts.
The jury returned its verdict of guilty of murder by a majority of 11 to one after deliberating for four hours and 10 minutes over two days. The jury convicted McDonagh of the other two charges unanimously.
Mr Justice Carney sentenced McDonagh to mandatory life imprisonment for murder and to five and three years' imprisonment, to run concurrently, on the two other counts.
Thanking the jury members for the "great attention" they paid to the case, Mr Justice Carney excused them from jury service for 15 years.
After the verdict, a relative of the deceased called out "that's what you get for killing an innocent man. My old brother never hurt anybody." Hecklers shouted "rot in hell" and "murderer" from the back of the courtroom as the prisoner was led away.
The court heard previously that after a funeral in Tullamore, Co Offaly, Mr Joyce and members of his family went to a pub in Finglas, as their boat back to England was delayed. A scuffle broke out inside the pub and later Mr Joyce was stabbed with a curved blade in the neck.