A 37-year-old Dublin man has been found guilty of murdering his life-long friend. A jury of six men and five women found Dubliner Paul McCarthy guilty of the murder of Martin Comerford in April 1999 by unanimous verdict.
Mr Comerford had been due to go on trial for murder on the day he was killed. Mr McCarthy, a father of nine, from Chambers Street had smoked heroin and drank at least ten pints on the night he shot Mr Comerford.
He told Gardaí that Mr Comerford had talked him into shooting him because he was afraid he would be convicted of the murder of Anthony Chester Beatty. His trial in the Central Criminal Court was due to begin the day he was killed.
The six-day trial head that Mr McCarthy admitted his involvement in the shooting soon after his arrest. In circumstances the prosecution described as bizarre, Mr McCarthy had shot his friend of 30 years at his own request.
Mr Comerford died from a gunshot wound to his chest fired at close range. His defence was that he did not intend to kill his friend or cause him serious injury. There were emotional scenes in court as the life sentence was handed down by Mr Justice Paul Carney and shouts of "injustice" and "no way" from Mr McCarthy's family.
