A Dublin man was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday after being found guilty of the murder of a homeless heroin addict.
A jury of six men and six women in the Central Criminal Court jury found Dermot Byrne (54), of Bath Street, Irishtown, guilty of the murder of Mr Bernard Smyth (46), from St Patrick's Villas, Ringsend, at Irishtown on October 29th, 1998. The jury reached its majority verdict after deliberating for over seven hours.
Passing mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, Mr Justice Carney refused Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, defending, leave to appeal.
The court had heard that Byrne stabbed Mr Smyth, who had been a heroin addict living rough, after taking him into his home and witnessing him inject heroin into his groin.