A man has lost his appeal against his conviction for the murder of another man whom he shot dead in front of a crowd of onlookers in a Dublin city centre pub.
Bernard Dempsey (49), Golden Lane, Dublin, was jailed for life by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court in June 2006 after he was found guilty of the murder of James Curran (42) in the Green Lizard Pub, Francis Street, Dublin, in April 2005.
The three judge Court of Criminal Appeal, consisting of Mr Justice Hugh Geoghegan presiding, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan and Mr Justice Michael Hanna, today dismissed Dempsey's appeal.
The sentence was appealed on the grounds of the alleged unsatisfactory nature of the visual identification of Dempsey and because of the trial judge's failure to grant applications to discharge the jury.
Mr Justice Geoghegan agreed with counsel for the DPP that there was "no doubt" that the evidence against the accused was "absolutely overwhelming".
The CCA was "perfectly satisfied" the conviction was safe and that the trial judge had perfectly exercised his discretion by not discharging the jury.