In Dublin Central Criminal Court decision that unfolded over four days, Martin Hayes, a 34-year-old grave digger, has been found not guilty of murdering his partner, Amadea McDermott, but guilty of manslaughter. The jury, comprising 12 members, unanimously rejected Hayes’ defence that his partner’s fatal stab wound was consistent with self-harm.
Hayes admitted to using violence against the 27-year-old mother-of-two during the trial, where it was revealed that he accessed her phone through a hidden app. The court also learned that an ex-girlfriend of Hayes provided a revised statement six years after Amadea’s death, alleging the defendant’s confession to the murder.
The jury, given the option of three verdicts—guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty—spent more than 13 hours deliberating. Their decision was to find Hayes not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, aligning with Mr. Justice Paul McDermott’s instructions that intent played a crucial role in the verdict.
Senior Counsel Ronan Munro, seeking an outright acquittal, highlighted the absence of Hayes’ DNA on the suspected murder weapon and asserted that toxicology reports supported the defendant’s account of drug and alcohol use on the night of the incident.
Hayes displayed little reaction to the verdict, while audible sobs emanated from the deceased’s family members in the courtroom.
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