Ross Outram jailed for murdering Waterford pensioner

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

Ross Outram was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 90-year-old Paddy Lyons. The proceedings were reported on 8 March 2019.

Outram denied murdering Lyons at a time unknown between 23 and 26 February 2017 and claimed he acted in self-defence. On 8 March 2019, a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict after deliberating for three-and-a-half hours.

Lyons was found slumped in an armchair at his home in Lismore, Co Waterford. He suffered multiple blows to the head and neck from a blunt weapon. The trial heard that he died from blunt force trauma to his body, with a traumatic brain injury and shock due to fractures of his hip joint, jawbone and ribs.

The prosecution described a sustained attack and said Outram knew Lyons had money and was going to get it. Outram told gardaí he had taken 100 Xanax tablets that day and claimed he fought back after Lyons hit him with a walking stick and a shovel. His lawyers argued that the altercation had caused Lyons brain injury and bleeding, but had not caused his death.

Following the verdict, Outram’s lawyers told the court he apologised for having killed Lyons and was deeply remorseful. Mr Justice Paul Coffey thanked the jury and excused its members from further jury service for 15 years.