A 47-year-old Offalyman has been found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter of his son at the Central Criminal court today.
A jury of seven men and five women took just under two hours to reach the guilty verdict against Mr Thomas Groome . He had pleaded not guilty to murdering his 19-year-old son Mr Christopher Groome in a caravan at Churchview Heights, Edenderry, Co Offaly on 15 November 1999.
Groome showed no emotion as the verdict was read out. He was accompanied in court by his current partner, his wife from whom he is separated and a daughter. He was remanded in custody for sentencing on 4th May by Mr Justice Barry White.
The jury heard during the trial that Mr Groome had admitted stabbing his son during a drunken row to detectives after his arrest in November 1999: Detective Sergeant Gerard McGrath told the court that Mr Groome said he was on his way out of his caravan when he told his son to "stop acting the bollocks" and "a tussle" ensued.
"I picked up the knife on the draining board. In the struggle Christy and I fell backwards towards the door ...I don't remember what hand I had the knife in. Christy fell on top
of me frontways, it was after him falling straight on top of me that I stabbed him" Mr Groome allegedly told Gardai.
The last words of Mr Christopher Groome were recalled for the jury by Det. Sgt. McGrath : "I cradled Christy in my arms, I saw his face turn white in my hands. He said 'Da why did you do it?'" Mr Groome allegedly said.
The court heard he was "crying uncontrollably" whilst he said this. State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy confirmed that death was due to a stab wound to the left side of the trunk, which punctured the left lung and damaged an artery. She said the wound "could have caused him to collapse immediately".
Garda sources say Mr Groome was well known to the police in the UK where he spent most of his adult life and has a string of previous convictions for theft between 1973 and 1998.