A JURY in the longest criminal trial in the history of the Irish state has found a Tipperary farmer guilty of murdering his love rival, Bobby Ryan - also known as DJ Moonlight.
Patrick Quirke (50) had denied murdering Mr Ryan (52) on a date between June 3, 2011 and April 2013.
The verdict delivered on Wednesday comes after a 15-week murder trial, during which it was alleged Quirke killed Mr Ryan in an attempt to rekindle an affair with Mary Lowry, a widow whose farm he was leasing.
The popular Tipperary DJ was in a relationship with Ms Lowry at the time of his disappearance.
His body was discovered 22 months later by Quirke in an underground tank, but the prosecution alleged this was a 'staged' discovery.
Relatives of Mr Ryan - a father of two - wept after the verdict was delivered.
The prosecution case gripped the nation as details of the obsessive nature of Quirke's relationship with Ms Lowry was laid out to the court.
Ms Lowry was called as a witness and gave details about her private life, her guilt over a "seedy affair" with Quirke and her joy at finding a new relationship with Mr Ryan.
Former Northern Ireland Chief Pathologist Jack Crane told the court Mr Ryan suffered serious injuries, not unlike a paramilitary style attack.
A key strand of evidence was the agony aunt letter to Patricia Redlich of the Sunday Independent in which Quirke wrote of his anger that Ms Lowry had begun a new relationship.
"My problem is that I am broken hearted and angry at how well things have worked out for her, despite her lying and cheating on me," he wrote.
Via video link from the Irish consulate in Boston, social worker Deirdre Caverley gave evidence of a phone call she had taken in her role as social worker in south Tipperary from Quirke in February 2011.
He had expressed "concerns" about Ms Lowry's children, claiming she had 'lost the run of herself' and had become fixated on this relationship. The prosecution said it showed the extent to which Quirke would stoop to exert control over Ms Lowry.
CCTV footage showed Quirke prowling Ms Lowry's house and peering in windows and interfering with underwear on a washing line.
The jury returned the majority guilty verdict of 10-2, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon sentenced Quirke to a mandatory life sentence, starting immediately.
