Man found guilty of Edward Meenan murder

The jury in the trial of two men charged with the murder of a father of nine in Derry over three years ago has returned a verdict of guilty of murder against one of the accused and one of manslaughter against the other.

Sean Rodgers (34), of no fixed abode and Ryan Walters (22), with an address in Crossgar, Co Down, were charged the murder of 52-year-old Edward Meenan whose body was found in an alleyway at the rear of Creggan Street in the early hours of November 25, 2018.

They were also charged with assaulting William McConnell on the same date.

The jury found Rodgers guilty of murder and found Walters not guilty of murder by guilty of manslaughter.

He was also found guilty of assault on Mr McConnell.

During the trial, the jury had been told Mr Meenan sustained 52 stab wounds and well over 100 sites of assault including suffering two broken legs.

Thanking the jury, Judge Donna McColgan, described them as the 'most attentative' she had ever come across.

She excused them from jury service for the rest of their lives.

She told Rodgers, who represented himself during the trial,  that there was only one sentence she could pass and that was a life sentence and that a tariff hearing would be held at a later date to determine the minimum term.

She told him to get a solicitor before that hearing.

A third man, Derek Creswell (29), of King's Lane in Ballykelly had already pleaded guilty to the charges and has been told he, too, would be sentenced to life in prison.

The case will be reviewed next Wednesday March 23.