A 21 year-old Co Tipperary man has been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering his friend in a dispute which started over a sausage from a fast food takeaway.
At the Central Criminal Court yesterday Charlie Maher, originally from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, with an address at Grange Cohan, St John's Park, Waterford, was convicted of the murder of Mr John Paul Ryan (20), at Grange Cohan Park, Waterford, on March 11th, 2002.
The murder trial jury deliberated for almost four hours before returning a majority guilty verdict.
During the trial, a witness told the jury that "all war broke loose over a sausage" prior to the murder of Mr Ryan.
On the night of the killing a group of friends, including the deceased and Maher, were drinking together on the grounds of a football pitch on the outskirts of the city.
Later, they went to a friend's house and continued to drink before going to a local takeaway for some fast food.
According to witnesses, Mr Ryan took a sausage out of the accused man's bag and he "took it the wrong way".
In the ensuing row, both men struck a number of blows, the court had heard.
The fight broke up and Maher walked home alone, but met Mr Ryan on the roadway in front of his house.
The trial heard that Maher stabbed the deceased twice, once in the heart and once in the thigh.
The trial also heard that Maher had armed himself with two knives and had told his girlfriend, Ms Ciara Gater, "There will be damage done tonight."
At the Central Criminal Court yesterday Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns imposed the mandatory life sentence for murder.