2014-06-13 · Tipperary
Tipperary man jailed for life for murdering his childhood friend
In a 2014 Central Criminal Court hearing, Maurice Power, aged 31, was found guilty of murdering his childhood friend Shane Rossiter, 30, in October 2012. Power denied the murder but admitted to a long‑standing feud, including a stabbing seven years earlier. He claimed fear for his family and himself. The trial, lasting four weeks, included Power's full confession after his arrest on 11 December 2012. Pathologist Marie Cassidy described shotgun entry wounds to Rossiter's chest and abdomen, with no exit wounds, causing fatal internal injuries. The jury, composed of seven women and five men, deliberated over two days and returned a guilty verdict by 11 to 1. Justice Deirdre Murphy sentenced Power to life imprisonment. The impact statement by Rossiter's sister, Jenna, highlighted the sudden loss of a brother and the profound grief felt by the family.