Man who stabbed home attacker in self defence is cleared of murder

A 33-year-old man has been acquitted of murder at the Central Criminal Court following a trial concerning a stabbing at a housing estate in Swinford, County Mayo. The jury, comprising nine men and three women, returned a majority verdict after deliberating for nine hours and 54 minutes over three days. The accused had pleaded not guilty to the murder of a 24-year-old man on 16 November 2020. The defence case centred on self-defence, with the accused maintaining throughout that he feared for his life during the incident. Expert psychiatric evidence was presented indicating the accused has paranoid schizophrenia, which was likely active at the time of the stabbing. A pathologist confirmed the fatal wound was a single stab to the abdomen. Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring thanked the jury for their service in what she described as a difficult trial and excused them from jury duty for ten years.