Two Cork men were sentenced to life today for the murder of a 28-year-old man viciously assaulted in the city centre.
Ross Stapleton and Paul Sheehan, both 21, were found guilty of killing Christian Scully at Dublin's Central Criminal Court.
Scully , from Togher, was left in a vegetative state after the attack in Sober Lane, Cork, and was on a life support machine for nine months before he died in October 2002.
The court heard he was beaten, stamped upon and dropped on the ground before being kicked in the head by the two men as he lay unconscious in the road.
Mr Stapleton was arrested on January 30, 2002 and Mr Sheehan the following day. They were charged with murder after Mr Scully 's death nine months later on October 17th.
After a nine day trial the jury of nine women and three men returned the two guilty verdicts after over three-and-a-half hours of deliberations.
Stapleton and Sheehan, both from the Glenn, Cork had pleaded not guilty to his murder.
Mr Justice Paul Butler refused an application to appeal.
PA