Passing sentence

FARMER Michael Ferris will be sentenced next month for using a teleporter to kill his elderly neighbour in April 2017, writes Simon Brouder.

After a two-week trial before the Central Criminal Court in Tralee it took the jury of seven men and five women four hours and 31 minutes to find Mr Ferris not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Anthony O’Mahony at Rattoo near Ballyduff on April 4, 2017.

The majority 10 to 2 verdict was greeted with emotional scenes as members of Mr O’Mahony’s devastated family broke down in tears as the jury’s dec ision was read to the court.

There was little reaction from Mr Ferris – who had displayed little emotion throughout the trial – or his supporters in the public gallery.

Ms Justice Carmel Stewart extended her sympathies to the O’Mahony family who, she said, the court will hear from in victim impact statements when the sentencing hearing takes place.

That hearing is due to be held at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin on November 26.

In his closing address lead Prosecution Barrister Patrick McGrath SC said the key issue in the case was provocation.

He argued that there was no evidence that Mr Ferris had “snapped” and said his actions and lack of remorse after the incident were consistent with someone who had intended to kill and not someone who had “just lost it”.

Closing the Defence case Barrister Brendan Grehan SC said the Mr Ferris had been left “at the end of his tether” by the actions of Mr O’Mahony whom he described as being “unreasonable” and “entitled”.

Mr Grehan said Mr Ferris was a “good man who did a bad thing” and that returning a manslaughter verdict would be “fair and just”.