Diarmuid Phelan found not guilty of murdering trespasser Keith Conlon

Law professor Diarmuid Phelan, who went on trial for murdering a trespasser on his farm but maintained from the outset that he had no intention of shooting him and had acted in self defence when he fired three warning shots, has been acquitted by a Central Criminal Court jury.

The panel of nine men and three women returned their unanimous verdict to Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford this evening, agreeing with the defence case that Mr Phelan was entitled to defend himself when he came under threat on his own land.

They had spent six hours and 51 minutes over two days considering their verdict following a ten-week trial.

Mr Phelan (56) made no reaction as the 12 jurors left the courtroom but was later seen embracing his family.

Members of victim Keith Conlon’s family quickly left the courtroom as soon as the not guilty verdict was announced.

The jury rejected the State’s case that when the third shot was fired by Mr Phelan, the gun was pointed in the direction of Mr Conlon, who was shot…

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