Two men have been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty, at the Central Criminal Court yesterday, of the murder of a fellow countryman from Brazil.
The trial had heard that Paulo Cesar Siqueria (39) had received more than 50 injuries, five of which were inflicted by a wooden stake, which was found close to the scene.
Jose Claudio Batista (30), Ruanbeg Close, Kildare, and Adriano Martins Costa (24), Greencove Apartments, Newbridge, Kildare, were found guilty after a lengthy trial of the murder of Mr Siqueria at Ruanbeg Close, Kildare, following a drink-fuelled row on June 4th, 2005.
A third man, Alessandro De Almeida Mata (30), also of Ruanbeg Close, was found not guilty.
After the verdicts, Mr Justice Barry White imposed the mandatory life sentence on both Batista and Costa.
The two South Americans have been in custody for more than a year; their sentences were backdated to begin from June 2005.
Mr Justice White also thanked the jury for its attention throughout the trial.
After the hearing yesterday, Mr De Almeida Mata, who was cleared, speaking through a translator, said he "was happy with the verdict".
"I said from the beginning that I am innocent," he stated, however he did not wish to say anything about either Costa or Batista, who is his brother-in-law.
During the trial Mr De Almeida Mata gave evidence that on that night he had tried to act as a peacemaker and had attempted to break up the row that resulted in Mr Siqueria's death.
"I feel sorry for Mr Siqueria's family, but I am innocent," he added.
Mr De Almeida Mata said that he intended to continue living in Ireland.
The victim's widow, Rosa Siqueria, who was present for much of the trial, declined to comment to reporters after sentence was passed.
Supt John Murphy, from Kildare Garda station, who led the investigation following Mr Siqueria's murder, welcomed the jury's decision.
"This was a complex investigation, involving 120 witnesses and five different nationalities," he said.
It had been a difficult time for Ms Siqueria and he was glad for her that it was all over, Supt Murphy said.
It was particularly tragic, as all the parties and their families knew each other and came from the same part of Brazil.
"They had come to Ireland to make a new life for themselves," he added.
The incident occurred outside the home in Kildare of Batista, who worked at a local meat factory.
Batista and Costa, who was employed at a stud farm, and others had been drinking with Mr Siqueria in the apartment.
Andressa de Almeida Mata Batista, Batista's wife, gave evidence that on the night of the murder she was uncomfortable when she was left with the victim, after her husband and Costa left the house for a period to help a friend.
Her brother had fallen asleep, effectively leaving her alone with Mr Siqueria.
She had got the impression that Mr Siqueria was staring at her and sent a text message to her husband asking him to come home, which he eventually did.
The trouble began just as Mr Siqueria was about to make his way home, when an argument broke out on the street.
In the course of the argument Mr Siqueria is alleged to have called Costa "a blackie", in their native Portuguese, and this escalated the situation.
While the exact cause of the row is not known, what is certain is that Mr Siqueria was knocked down, kicked and then punched in the face before sustaining fatal injuries.