A 19-year-old man accused of the manslaughter of a garda in Donegal in 2009 has been found not guilty.
Garda Robbie McCallion, aged 29, died days after he was struck by a car in the the early hours of 26 March, 2009.
The jury in the trail of Jamie McGrenaghan found him not guilt by a unanimous verdict after more than two hours of deliberations.
The verdict was met with sobs and tears by the late Garda McCallion's heartbroken family including his father Bob, mother Nancy, sisters Noirin and Deirdre and girlfriend Marie O'Donnell.
A number of the late Garda McCallion's colleagues including his close friend Sgt Christy Galligan were left visibly stunned by the verdict.
McGrenaghan, 19, of Gortnathraw, Cashel, Kerrykeel had previously pleaded guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of Garda McCallion, 29 and also stealing a car.
The trial, which lasted almost three days, ended when the jury returned with a verdict after two and half hours.
During the trial the court had heard how the accused struck Garda McCallion in the early hours of March 26th, 2009, after himself and another man had stolen a car at Tara Court in Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
The garda, a talented footballer who played with his native Mayo, died in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin a few days later on 7 April.
McGrenaghan's defence team had argued that he panicked on the night of the tragedy and was merely trying to escape.
Immediately after the verdict was delivered the court was told that just weeks before he hit Garda McCallion, McGrenaghan had been involved in a number of burglaries between 26-27 February to which he then pleaded guilty.
He will be sentenced on Friday next, 11 February.
