A man who bragged that he punched his vulnerable victim “like Conor McGregor in the UFC”, in an assault that caused the young man’s death, has been found guilty of murder.
The Central Criminal Court jury of five women and seven men took five hours and 11 minutes to reach their unanimous verdict following Maurice Boland’s second trial for the murder of 26-year-old Cian Gallagher. His first trial in April of this year ended in a jury disagreement.
Ms Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the jury and exempted them from further service for five years. The victim’s family will be invited to make statements to the court on December 16th before Boland will be sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment.
Boland did not react when the verdict was revealed.
An Irishwoman sailing around the world: ‘This paradise has just seven residents and two dogs’
Tailbacks from Forty Foot stretch for miles as Christmas swimmers descend
‘What has you here?’: Eight years dead and safe in a Galway graveyard, yet here Grandad was standing before me
Róisín Ingle: My profound, challenging, surprisingly joyful, life-changing year
The attack happened on November 2nd, into the early hours of November 3rd, 2022, and Mr Gallagher died in hospital eight days later.
Boland (37) of Bridgeview Close, Tallow, Co Waterford had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Gallagher on Barrack Street in Tallow.
The defendant’s lawyers had argued he was guilty of unlawful killing, not murder, because there was no evidence of his intent to kill or cause serious injury to Mr Gallagher. The pathology evidence in the trial showed that Mr Gallagher died from injuries sustained when he fell and banged his head on the ground after Boland punched him.
However, prosecution counsel Bernard Condon SC told the jury the victim did not “spontaneously fall”. He was pursued by Boland, counsel said, who had earlier in the night been drunkenly threatening to “beat the sh*t out” of a patron at a bar, and “smash his face in”.
Following the assault, Boland bragged to three young men who arrived on the scene that he had hit Mr Gallagher “like Conor McGregor in the UFC”.
In her charge to the jury, Ms Justice Creedon said every unlawful killing was manslaughter, but it shall not be murder unless the accused intended to kill or cause serious harm.
She told the jury that if they decided that the accused did not intend to kill, they still must consider whether he intended to cause serious injury.
If they conclude that he killed Mr Gallagher and intended to do so, then the verdict is guilty of murder.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis