Fifth Man Convicted in Cemetery Murder Case

Michael Dooley, 29, has been found guilty of murdering his cousin, Thomas Dooley, during a family funeral in County Kerry on October 5, 2022. The jury's unanimous verdict came after almost 17 hours of deliberation, adding him to a list of four other defendants previously convicted in connection with the violent attack, described as an 'honour killing'. Thomas Dooley suffered fatal stab and chop wounds inflicted by a group of six individuals at Rath Cemetery. In court, Michael Dooley proclaimed his innocence, with emotional scenes as he insisted it was 'not fair' that he was going to jail for a crime he claimed he did not commit. The prosecution characterized the murder as a 'macabre provincial tragedy' marked by 'appalling, mediaeval violence'. The trial continues as deliberations are set to resume for a sixth defendant.