Courts / Waterford / Report

Waterford man jailed for life for "horrendous" murder

Summary

William Moran, a 20-year-old from Connolly Place, Waterford City, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Martin Brophy (22). The Central Criminal Court in Dublin heard that Moran was charged with killing Brophy at the old Waterford Institute of Technology building between May 19 and May 21, 2012. Moran had pleaded not guilty to the charge. After a five-week trial, a jury of three women and seven men delivered a unanimous guilty verdict following eight hours and 38 minutes of deliberation. The court heard evidence that Brophy died from blunt force trauma to the head, potentially caused by kicking, stamping, or stomping. Witness Gavin Walsh testified that Moran dragged Brophy and struck him, while forensic evidence included a blood-stained metal locker. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy exempted the jury from service for life and imposed the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. The victim's family, including his sister Trina Brophy and father Michael Brophy, expressed relief at the verdict, noting it provided some closure after a traumatic period. The judge described the act as a horrendous murder, and the sentence was finalized in court.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Waterford man jailed for life for "horrendous" murder. Charges or matters: murdering Martin Brophy (22) at the old Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) building between May 19 and May 21 2012; the charge at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• May 19 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 21 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
• Saturday May 19, 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 20th, 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 22nd, 2012 Other
• 2015-03-19 Publication

Why: He was young and had his whole life ahead of him but the defendant decided that he was going to take him away from us, and we will have to live with the empty space in our hearts because of his actions," she said. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report