One 'new age' traveller has been convicted of murder and two others of the manslaughter of a Portuguese national whose badly beaten body was discovered near a popular scenic beach last year.
After 10 hours of deliberations a jury convicted Stuart Spicer (28) of the murder of Sergio Abru at Clashanahy, Co Waterford between September 6 and 7, 2002.
Steven Job (31) of Whiting Bay, Ardmore, Co Waterford and Graeme Turnbull (36) with an address at Ballyhooley Rd, Cork were both found guilty of the manslaughter of Mr Abru.
After the verdict at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Kevin O'Kiggins imposed the mandatory life sentence on Stuart Spicer and refused leave to appeal. Steven Job and Graeme Turbull were remanded in custody for sentence on 14th November.
During the fifteen-day trial the jury heard that one of the three, Stuart Spicer, had begun a relationship with the former partner of the deceased, Ms Miriam Rooney, at a time when Mr Abru was in prison on charges of assaulting her.
On September 6, one month after his release from prison, Sergio Abru was seen arguing with Miriam Rooney in Youghal, but later accompanied her and Spicer to a caravan park in Whiting Bay, Co Waterford.
The following morning Mr Abru's badly beaten body was discovered in a field nearby and the Deputy State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy identified "blunt force trauma" to the head as the cause of death. She said the deceased suffered thirteen separate blowsto the head and face that resulted in a number of fractures to the skull and bleeding to the brain.
A trail of blood led the gardai from the scene where Mr Abru died to the nearby caravans where the three 'new age' travellers resided.
Spicer had fled the scene but was later arrested by gardai in Wexford. In statements made to the gardai while incustody the three admitted beating up Mr Abru but said they intended only to remove him from the campsite after he had insulted Miriam Rooney.
Discharging the jury, Mr Justice O'Higgins thanked them for their care and attention and released them for further service for 15 years.