A MAN HAS been jailed for life for stabbing a man to death in Thurles, Co Tipperary, last year. The woman with whom he was living has been found guilty of assault and helping to burn the victim's clothes after he was killed.
The jury at the Central Criminal Court took just over 4½ hours to reach its unanimous verdicts.
Kevin Keohane (34), of no fixed abode, was found guilty of the murder of Renars Tuleiko (32), a Latvian mechanic, at Parnell Park, Thurles, some time from April 13th to 15th, 2007.
Victoria Moverley (32), also of no fixed abode, was found guilty of assisting in burning Mr Tuleiko's clothes. She was also found guilty of assault causing him serious harm.
During the trial, the court heard that two weeks before the murder, Keohane went to Thurles to meet Moverley and discuss their two children. They began living in a tent in Parnell Park in the town. On April 13th they hitched a lift to Nenagh where they collected a social welfare cheque. Later that evening, they got the bus back to Thurles. They went to the river bank and began drinking and met Mr Tuleiko.
Keohane told the court that he had met Mr Tuleiko three or four times before that evening and that they had got on well.
Keohane and Moverley invited Mr Tuleiko back to their tent. A fire was lit. They were drinking and Mr Tuleiko asked if he could stay the night. Keohane and Moverley said he could.
The court heard that a row broke out between Keohane and Mr Tuleiko later that night.
Mr Tuleiko was stabbed 18 times in the face and neck and received 20 slash wounds to the face and neck, two stab wounds to the left thigh, one to the left buttock and one to the left groin.
State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy told the court Mr Tuleiko died of a stab wound to the neck. She also told the court the little finger of Mr Tuleiko's right hand was amputated after he died and there had been an attempt to sever the middle finger of the left hand.
Keohane told gardaí that he could not explain why he amputated Mr Tuleiko's finger.
He said he stabbed Mr Tuleiko in the neck "to finish him off". Moverley told gardaí that she stabbed Mr Tuleiko in the buttock while he was fighting with Keohane.
The court also heard that, when asked by gardaí who was responsible for the death of Mr Tuleiko, Moverley said: "All of us were, getting into that state. We were all supposed to be mates."
Mr Tuleiko's body was dragged to a corner of the field and covered partially with grass. His clothes were burned on the camp fire, before they left and took the train to Dublin then the ferry to Wales.
Keohane told gardaí that he stabbed Mr Tuleiko because he was trying to protect Moverley. He said that he did not intend to kill him. "I was just trying to protect us," he said.
During the trial, he told the court that he felt "very sorry".
"I'm very sorry for his family. I believe he has got children, too. I'm very sorry to his children. If I could change any of this I would."
Mr Justice Barry White gave Keohane the mandatory life sentence. He remanded Moverley in custody until December 3rd when a date is expected to be set for her sentencing.