THE YOUNGER of two Co Laois brothers on trial for murdering a farmer in a dispute over a heifer has been acquitted by a unanimous verdict.
Jason Byrne (33), who works as a builder-contractor with his older brother and co-accused, Daniel-Joseph Byrne, had denied murdering Edward “Eddie” Dempsey in 2007.
Mr Dempsey, a cattle farmer on the Laois–Offaly border, died in Portlaoise hospital on October 11th that year, 10 months after a row at the Byrnes’s farmyard.
The prosecution argued that the 49-year-old’s ultimate cause of death was the blow to the head struck by DJ Byrne on December 18th, 2006, during the row.
Jason Byrne however maintained that although he was present in the yard, he played no part in the incident and never struck the farmer.
During the four-week trial, DJ Byrne gave evidence that he was “purely defending” himself when he struck Mr Dempsey.
Jason Byrne, who also took to the witness stand in his defence during the trial, said that he played no part in the row, nor did he witness anything, he told the jury, because he was knocked to the side by DJ.
He said it was not true he struck Mr Dempsey across the legs with the handle of a brush, as Mr Dempsey’s brother, John Dempsey, had told the court in his evidence. But there was no medical evidence to support this, nor did doctors find any injuries to Mr Dempsey’s legs. The prosecution argued that the Byrne brothers acted in joint enterprise and were in a concerted agreement to lure the farmer into the yard, isolate him and beat him with weapons.
Jason Byrne told the court however that there was no such agreement between him and his brother. “I did not strike anybody, I did not strike Edward Dempsey” he said, telling the court he never had the handle of a brush, but had been carrying a stick that he used to herd cattle.
After deliberating for almost four hours over two days, the jury acquitted Jason Byrne.
They are due to resume their deliberations in the case of DJ Byrne today.