Courts / Dublin / Report
Jury clears man of killing mother's partner who had beaten and mistreated him
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, 31‑year‑old Ronan Byrne was acquitted of manslaughter, assault and possession of a bat after a dispute with his mother's partner, James Marren, who died on 31 October 2013. Byrne testified that he feared Marren and had never struck back. He claimed Marren had repeatedly abused him and that the altercation began when Marren called him a "scumbag" and threatened his daughter. Byrne said he used a wooden bat to try to stop Marren from attacking, striking him a few times, but not with intent to kill. Marren was taken to hospital with a fractured leg, casted, and died days later from a pulmonary embolism caused by a deep vein thrombosis in the injured leg. The jury found Byrne not guilty on all charges after deliberating over three and a half hours. The case highlighted the alleged abuse and the medical chain of causation presented by the pathologist.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jury clears man of killing mother's partner who had beaten and mistreated him. Charges or matters: the unlawful killing of Mr Marren (57) at that address on October 31, 2013. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- October 31, 2013 Incident
- October 26, 2013 Incident
- October 2013 Incident
- November 1, 2013 Other
- 2021-10-06 Publication
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: the unlawful killing of Mr Marren (57) at that address on October 31, 2013 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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