Man guilty of manslaughter of 80
Sean Harding has been found guilty of the manslaughter of 80-year-old Timothy 'Teddy' Murnane in Tipperary, Ireland. The jury reached a majority verdict after an eight-day trial, acquitting him of murder but convicting him of manslaughter and three counts of theft.
Why it matters
The case highlights the legal distinction between murder and manslaughter in cases involving accidental death during the commission of a crime.
A 32-year-old man has been found guilty of the manslaughter of 80-year-old Timothy 'Teddy' Murnane in Tipperary last year.
Sean Harding, of Marian Terrace in Tipperary town, was today found not guilty of Mr Murnane's murder but guilty of his manslaughter at the deceased's home at Michaels Avenue in Tipperary town on 12 September 2025.
Court registrar Ruth Penney said the jury, made up of seven women and five men, had deliberated for a total of seven hours and 40 minutes, following a trial that lasted eight days. The jury returned a majority verdict of 10 to 2.
Harding originally pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder, adding that he was guilty of manslaughter.
He had also pleaded guilty to three counts of theft, two at St Michael's Avenue on 12 September last year and a third at another address at St Michael's Avenue between 11 and 12 September.
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