Friends and relatives of an Irishman convicted of murder in England will visit the Dáil today seeking support for their claim that he is the victim of a miscarriage of justice.
Christy McGrath, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, is a young jockey and was living in a rural part of Co Durham, in northern England, when the incident happened that led to his conviction.
According to Mr Patrick Reynolds of the Irish in Britain Representation Group, McGrath was leaving a village pub in July 2000 when he was approached by a man later identified as Gary Walton, who racially abused him and blocked his way. He had never met him before.
Mr McGrath hit him and ran back to the pub, but failed to gain admittance. Walton then pursued him with a brick, threatening him. McGrath succeeded in taking the brick from him, and he hit him with it. The man fell, but McGrath insisted he was alive when he left him.
Walton died later, and McGrath was arrested and charged with murder. He was legally advised to plead guilty, on the basis that he would get a reduced sentence. Despite the guilty plea, he received a life sentence, with a minimum of 16 years to serve.
However, the coroner's report said that Walton died from strangulation.
McGrath was never questioned about strangling him, which he denies. Nor was he advised to plead self-defence.