A Clonmel man has been convicted of murdering his former girlfriend’s boyfriend and sentenced to life in prison.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court found Alex Freiberg (30) guilty of murdering Kieran Cambridge by a majority of ten to two following nearly seven hours of deliberation over two days.
Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy imposed the mandatory life sentence on Freiberg who had denied murdering the 45-year-old Cork man at Carrigeen Close, Clonmel, Co Tipperary on September 16th, 2007.
Freiberg, of Bridgewater House, Clonmel, was unhappy about Catherine Shanahan's new relationship and he went to her home armed with two knives. He threatened Ms Shanahan and then went upstairs and fatally stabbed Mr Cambridge who was in bed.
The jury had heard that Ms Shanahan was a woman in her thirties who had substance abuse problems. She met Mr Cambridge when she attended a six week rehabilitation course and they began a relationship. Mr Cambridge was staying at her home at Carrigeen Close on the night he died.
Freiberg had been in a relationship with Ms Shanahan from April 2004 until June 2007. He was unhappy about her new relationship and sent a number of threatening text messages to her phone the day of the attack including, "this will be a night from hell".
Ms Shanahan, Mr Cambridge and another friend had been drinking in her house until Mr Cambridge went to bed and Ms Shanahan drove her friend home in the early hours. When she arrived home Freiberg came in the back door armed with two knives. He held one to her throat and threatened her before going upstairs.
Mr Cambridge suffered two very serious stab wounds and a number of other cuts. One wound to the side of his chest penetrated his lungs and killed him.
Ms Shanahan raised the alarm with her neighbours but the deceased was dead by the time an ambulance arrived.
The jury heard that the knives were never found and there was no forensic evidence linking Freiberg to the scene. Ms Shanahan told gardaíi at the scene that Freiberg was the attacker and he was arrested at a friend's house in the hours following the murder.
Gardai found that he had showered and washed his clothes, including his shoes, at the friend's house. The jury also heard that a taxi had dropped Freiberg to Ms Shanahan's estate in the early hours and that his friend
had picked him up some time later.