A 21-year-old Dublin man has been sentenced to life in prison, after being found guilty at the Central Criminal Court of the murder of a neighbour in late 2003.
The jury of seven men and five women reached its verdict after four and a half hours deliberating. Darren Rogers of Elmdale Park, Ballyfermot had pleaded not guilty to murdering Thomas Farrell of Cherry Orchard Avenue, also in Ballyfermot on November 27 th, 2003.
Mr Farrell died in the early hours of that morning, after being rushed to hospital from his home the previous night. Hours after the victim was pronounced dead, Rogers presented himself at the local Garda station and admitted to stabbing him in the lower back, telling detectives "I didn't even think I caught him proper".
During the two-week trial, the jury of seven men and five women heard details of how Mr Farrell had discovered the accused and his friend, Kenneth Murphy, trying to steal his car from his driveway on Wednesday evening, November 26th, 2003.
An argument followed and Rogers claimed the deceased was "throwing slaps" at him before going back into his house to get a hammer. Rogers followed him into his hallway and stabbed him in front of his partner and children.
After the verdict was read out today, members of Mr Farrell's family shouted "yes", while his partner of ten years broke down in tears. Rogers stood up, before Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne imposed the mandatory life sentence.
