A Limerick man was sentenced to life imprisonment last night at the Central Criminal Court after being found guilty of murdering a 68-year-old bachelor farmer.
William Campion (31), of no fixed abode but formerly of Moyross, Limerick, had denied murdering Mr Patrick "Paud" Skehan, of Bridgetown, Co Clare.
Mr Justice O Caoimh sentenced Campion after the jury of seven men and five women found him guilty on counts of murder and burglary by a majority of 11 to 1.
The jury returned its verdict shortly after 7.30 p.m. after spending more than 3 1/2 hours deliberating on the evidence.
Mr Skehan was attacked during a robbery at his home in April 1998 and died from his injuries almost two months later. He was found beaten and unconscious, bound with cable wire and hanging upside down from a stairs.
Bloodstained shoeprints found at the scene had been put forward by the prosecution as the main evidence against Campion.
Garda interview notes taken shortly after the death of Mr Skehan recorded that Campion had denied any knowledge of his death. Gardai put it to the accused man that markings from runners taken from him matched markings found at the scene, to which he allegedly replied: "That proves the runners were there, it doesn't prove I was there."