Courts

Man who punched victim ‘like Conor McGregor in the UFC’ found guilty of murder

Maurice Boland’s first trial ended in jury disagreement

The jury of five women and seven men took five hours and 11 minutes to reach their unanimous verdict in this second trial
The jury of five women and seven men took five hours and 11 minutes to reach their unanimous verdict in this second trial
Eoin Reynolds
Fri Dec 06 2024 - 17:50

A man who bragged that he punched his vulnerable victim “like Conor McGregor in the UFC”, in an assault that caused the young man’s death, has been found guilty of murder.

The Central Criminal Court jury of five women and seven men took five hours and 11 minutes to reach their unanimous verdict following Maurice Boland’s second trial for the murder of 26-year-old Cian Gallagher. His first trial in April of this year ended in a jury disagreement.

Ms Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the jury and exempted them from further service for five years. The victim’s family will be invited to make statements to the court on December 16th before Boland will be sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment.

Boland did not react when the verdict was revealed.

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The attack happened on November 2nd, into the early hours of November 3rd, 2022, and Mr Gallagher died in hospital eight days later.

Boland (37) of Bridgeview Close, Tallow, Co Waterford had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Gallagher on Barrack Street in Tallow.

The defendant’s lawyers had argued he was guilty of unlawful killing, not murder, because there was no evidence of his intent to kill or cause serious injury to Mr Gallagher. The pathology evidence in the trial showed that Mr Gallagher died from injuries sustained when he fell and banged his head on the ground after Boland punched him.

However, prosecution counsel Bernard Condon SC told the jury the victim did not “spontaneously fall”. He was pursued by Boland, counsel said, who had earlier in the night been drunkenly threatening to “beat the sh*t out” of a patron at a bar, and “smash his face in”.

Following the assault, Boland bragged to three young men who arrived on the scene that he had hit Mr Gallagher “like Conor McGregor in the UFC”.

In her charge to the jury, Ms Justice Creedon said every unlawful killing was manslaughter, but it shall not be murder unless the accused intended to kill or cause serious harm.

She told the jury that if they decided that the accused did not intend to kill, they still must consider whether he intended to cause serious injury.

If they conclude that he killed Mr Gallagher and intended to do so, then the verdict is guilty of murder.