Man found guilty of manslaughter of Tipperary pensioner Timothy Murnane
Sean Harding has been found guilty of the manslaughter of 80-year-old Timothy Murnane following a burglary attempt in Tipperary. The jury acquitted Harding of murder, accepting that the fatal injuries occurred during a confrontation while he was stealing tools.
Why it matters
The case highlights the legal distinction between murder and manslaughter in the context of criminal acts resulting in death.
A 32-year-old man has been found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of an elderly neighbour who suffered fatal head injuries when he disturbed the accused breaking into a garage at his home in Co Tipperary .
Sean Harding of Marian Terrace in Tipperary town pleaded not guilty to the murder of Timothy “Teddy” Murnane (80) but guilty to his manslaughter at his home at St Michael’s Avenue, Tipperary town, on September 12th, 2025, as well as pleading guilty to three burglaries on the same day.
At the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork on Friday, the jury of five men and seven men returned after seven hours and 40 minutes of deliberations over two days to find Harding not guilty of the murder but guilty of manslaughter by a margin of 10 to two.
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