Christopher McNamara jailed for Limerick murder

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Christopher McNamara was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering James Boyce, after a unanimous guilty verdict. McNamara had pleaded not guilty to murder. The proceedings were reported on 24 January 2014.

Boyce, a 71-year-old retired soldier, was killed at his Limerick home between 6 and 7 March 2011. The report said the fatal injuries included multiple fractures of the larynx after an assault with a long striking edge.

The two-week trial heard that McNamara had confessed the killing to his mother. His defence asked the jury to consider manslaughter instead of murder and presented evidence that he was intoxicated on the night. The jury rejected that outcome and found him guilty of murder.