Court report: A former Blackrock College student has been found guilty of the manslaughter of Brian Murphy outside the Burlington Hotel in August 2000.
Dermot Laide (22), from Rossvale, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, was convicted by a 10-2 majority verdict after the jury, who had spent Tuesday night in a hotel, had deliberated for over nine hours on day 32 of the trial at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Laide was also found guilty by a unanimous decision of violent disorder.
A second accused, Mr Andrew Frame (22), from Nutley Lane, Donnybrook, Dublin, was acquitted of violent disorder. He had also been charged with the manslaughter of Mr Murphy but last week Judge Michael White directed that he be found not guilty because of insufficient evidence against him.
The jury of eight men and four women have not reached a verdict on the two other accused, Mr Desmond Ryan (23), from Cunningham Road, Dalkey, Co Dublin and Mr Sean Mackey (23), of South Park, Foxrock, Co Dublin. The jurors were sent to a hotel for a second night.
Judge White remanded Laide on continuing bail until this morning to await the outcome of the jury's deliberations on Mr Ryan and Mr Mackey.
He told Mr Frame he was free to go.
The four accused had denied charges of unlawfully killing 18-year-old Mr Murphy after a fight outside the Burlington Hotel on August 31st, 2000, but only three faced that charge yesterday, following the judge's direction on Mr Frame. The four former Blackrock College students had also pleaded not guilty to using or threatening to use unlawful violence on the same date.
Mr Murphy died from swelling to the brain caused by severe facial injuries after he had been attacked by a group of up to six youths, following a student night out in Club Anabel in the Burlington Hotel.
Mr Edward Comyn SC, prosecuting, told the jury when he opened the case to them on January 13th that Mr Murphy died following a "short but sustained" attack and it happened at a time when he was "isolated and outnumbered".
There has been evidence in the trial that after the attack he tried to get to his feet but stumbled forward and fell on his face. The court had heard that he "fell like a plank".
Some of his friends tried to revive him but he was described as "unconscious and unresponsive".
He was pronounced dead in St Vincent's Hospital at 4.57 a.m. on the morning of August 31st, 2000.
Former Chief State Pathologist Prof John Harbison told the jury that Mr Murphy died as a result of "considerable violence" and his injuries were not consistent with a fall.
The court has heard evidence from over 100 witnesses over the last six weeks, over 40 of whom witnessed the violent assault.
A number of witnesses told the court they saw Laide punch Mr Murphy twice in the head area before he fell to the ground. Former Blackrock College student Mr David Cox described the two punches as "strong and forceful".
He told the court that after he witnessed the two punches, Laide approached him and showed him a cut on the back of his hand.
The witness had said he appeared to be quite upset at what he had done.
Laide told the gardaí that he went into the fight because his friend, Andrew Frame, was being attacked by a group of about four youths.
Another witness, Mr Alan Dalton, told the jury that he also saw Laide punch Mr Murphy and that he kicked out at his shin area.
Mr Dalton also told the court that Laide was staying in his house that night and the following morning they heard that Brian Murphy had died. Mr Dalton's father advised the two to get to Blackrock College to see their former principal, Mr Alan McGinty.
Mr McGinty, who also gave evidence in the trial, suggested that the two past pupils write down everything they had seen the previous night and he signed one of the accounts and Father Tom Nash signed the other.
Laide was arrested on September 26th, 2000, and told gardaí that he gave Mr Murphy "two good belts"and had said that in his voluntary statement to gardaí on September 1st, 2000.
Yesterday afternoon the jury requested that the judge read back to them the court transcripts of Mr Dalton's evidence. Last night Judge White told the jury he would call them back at 10.15 a.m. today and it could recommence its deliberations on Mr Ryan and Mr Mackey.