Three Irish men have been acquitted of the murder of 29-year-old Dublin man Keith Ennis in Amsterdam in 2009.
They were convicted of dumping his body, which is a felony under Dutch law.
Philip County, formerly of Portarlington and with an address in Lucan Co Dublin; Keith Brunell of Palmerstown, Co Dublin, and Barry McArdle, from Drimnagh in Dublin, were all acquitted of Ennis’ murder and given the maximum penalty for disposing of his body.
Brunell has already served his time awaiting trial and will be released, while McArdle will be released on appeal.
County failed to turn up for the trial and his whereabouts are unknown.
Ennis suffered multiple stab wounds to his head and face and several fatal knife slashes to his back in a Rotterdam apartment in February 2009.
It took weeks before Dutch police identified the victim via Interpol and assistance from gardaí as a result of DNA and identification from a distinctive tattoo on one of Mr Ennis's arms.
The trial heard the dead man was in the drugs trafficking business and police believed that County was working for him in the Netherlands.
Mr Ennis believed his life was in danger from gang leaders who suspected he had provided information to gardaí leading to the seizure of drugs and guns.
In the months before his death he had emailed funeral requests to his family saying his life was in danger and he wanted to put his affairs in order for his nine-year-old son.
