A Waterford man has been acquitted of murder but found guilty at the Central Criminal Court of the manslaughter of a teenager he stabbed at a party.
Justin Longman (18), Larchville, Waterford, had denied the murder of Brian O'Neill (18), Ardmore Park, Ballybeg, Waterford, at Woodlawn Grove in the city on February 13th this year.
Longman sighed, crossed himself and smiled to friends at the back of the court when the verdict was read out yesterday.
Medical evidence showed he had knifed Mr O'Neill in the head 10 times while holding him in a headlock.
Previously the court heard that the housewarming party at which Mr O'Neill was killed had spiralled out of control with several groups of uninvited guests.
Medical evidence showed that Mr O'Neill had alcohol, cannabis, ecstasy and amphetamine in his system at the time.
Longman arrived after Mr O'Neill and a number of witnesses recalled him receiving an unprovoked head-butt which caused him to fall over.
Melanie Flynn described Mr O'Neill giving Longman "a slap with his head".
A fight ensued, after which Longman retired to the kitchen to clean blood from his face. In her evidence Pamela Flynn said she saw him open a drawer of knives before he returned to the sitting room.
There Longman encountered Mr O'Neill once again, and while it appeared they were going to make up, a further fight developed.
Longman will be sentenced tomorrow.