Two young north Dublin men have been found not guilty of the manslaughter of another man following a 21st birthday party. One of them was convicted of assault.
Mr Jonathan Dignam (24), Limekiln Lane, Balgriffin, was discharged from Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Judge Miriam Reynolds who said he was an innocent man as far as the jury and the people of Ireland were concerned.
Glen Carroll (23), Strandmill Avenue, Portmarnock, who was found guilty of assault causing harm to the deceased, Mr Peter Joyce (21), was remanded on continuing bail for sentence today.
Both men had pleaded not guilty during their nine-day trial to unlawfully killing Mr Joyce in the car park of Naomh Mearnog CLG in Portmarnock on August 13th, 2002. The jury took almost five hours to reach its unanimous verdicts.
The jury heard that Mr Joyce's girlfriend, Ms Yvette Reid, has been banned from driving for 30 years and fined when prosecuted in Dublin District Court as a result of her actions which led to the tragic event leading to his death.
The incident started when Mr Joyce and Ms Reid got in uninvited to Mr Dignam's car after the party. He asked them to leave but they told him to "fuck off". Their attitude took him by surprise and he tried to pull Mr Joyce out but failed.
Mr Dignam said he never planned to cause the death of Mr Joyce and only punched him once after the deceased man tried to head-butt him. Mr Joyce died as a result of one blow which ruptured an artery in his neck.