Overview
- Patrick Murphy admitted stabbing 20-year-old Jordan Ronan in Tallaght on 26 July 2024 but denied murder, saying he acted to protect his family and property.
- The jury returned a manslaughter verdict after more than seven hours of deliberation, rejecting murder based on the legal tests explained by Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo.
- Prosecutors argued Murphy deliberately delivered a single chest wound that was disproportionate, while the defence said he reacted in panic in a brief confrontation.
- CCTV showed Ronan entering Murphy’s van and then his partner’s BMW, and responders later reported finding pliers, cards and Murphy’s Revolut card on Ronan’s person.
- Murphy was remanded in custody for sentencing on 26 January 2026, and the judge said members of the Ronan family will be invited to make victim-impact statements before sentencing.