Ryan Kearney convicted of manslaughter in Kilcock stabbing

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

Ryan Kearney was acquitted of murdering Jeffrey Jackson and convicted by a jury of his manslaughter. Kearney was awaiting sentence when the verdict was reported on 28 July 2025.

Kearney had pleaded not guilty to murdering Jackson at The Lamps, School Street, Kilcock, Co Kildare, on 8 February 2024. The proceedings were reported on 19 June 2025.

At the Central Criminal Court, prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC said Kearney claimed during interviews that he had acted in self-defence after Jackson came at him with a knife. Counsel said the prosecution contended that the injuries did not support that account. He said State pathologist Dr Sally Anne Collis found 16 separate knife injuries.

The later report said Jackson had 17 knife wounds, including 16 stab wounds, and that two deep chest wounds proved fatal. It said both men were highly intoxicated and the jury heard that the row developed over a bottle of vodka.

A victim impact statement from Jackson’s mother, Grace, was read on 28 July 2025. She said she had been unable to sleep since her son was killed. The earlier trial report said the case was being heard before Mr Justice Paul Burns and a jury.