A 39-year-old man has been found guilty of the murder of his friend whom he stabbed to death in Dublin over a year and a half ago.
Joseph Lawlor, of Hampton Wood Road in Finglas, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of 51-year-old Michael Ryan in a carpark at the back of the Lawlor's home on 20 June 2024.
The two men had been drinking together throughout the day and had their first of three physical confrontations at 8.30pm.
Following the second fight just after 9.30pm, Mr Ryan drove off in his car, but was arrested almost immediately for drink driving.
Mr Ryan returned to Lawlor's home shortly after midnight after his release from custody and accused him of having called gardaí to have him arrested for drunk driving.
He also demanded that Lawlor return an expensive watch that he had left behind earlier.
When Lawlor refused, Mr Ryan threatened to get some "lads" to come and throw "pineapples", a slang for grenades, through his windows.
A few minutes later, Mr Ryan came into Lawlor's home through the back door and stole a bag with almost €4,000 inside.
Lawlor pursued him to a carpark at the back of his home and stabbed him once in the neck, severing a branch of the carotid artery and killing him.
He subsequently claimed he had been acting in self defence and testified during the trial saying that when he saw Mr Ryan in his sitting room that night, he feared for his life.
Lawlor said that Ryan told him that he was going to throw grenades through his window and that when he followed him with a bread knife in his hand he had wanted to "scare him away".
Lawlor also testified that when he realised straight away it was serious, he rang the emergency services, screaming for help.
He said he had to try his best to save him and that he initially thought he was going to be alright.
Mr Justice Patrick McGrath remanded him in custody for sentencing next Friday.
