A CENTRAL CRIMINAL Court jury has found Vesel Jahiri guilty of the murder of his former partner and mother of their two children.
Jurors also found him guilty of assaulting his former partner’s brother Karl Finnegan, causing him harm.
Jahiri had been removed from his own trial, where he was representing himself, after he punched the prosecuting barrister in the face and was wrestled to the ground by prison officers.
Mr Justice Paul Coffey later told the jury that the accused had been removed from the court and he then proceeded to charge the jury in his absence.
Today, before the verdicts were read out, Jahiri was brought into court accompanied by four prison officers dressed in full riot gear. He was handcuffed and two of these prison officers sat next to him in the dock.
As the jury came into court to deliver their verdict Jahiri began to shout: “Jurors I found the 999 call.”
A jury which had been reduced to eight men and two women found Jahiri guilty by unanimous verdict of murdering Anna Finnegan. They had deliberated for six hours and 43 minutes.
They also found him guilty by unanimous verdict of assaulting Karl Finnegan, causing him harm.
The judge then had Jahiri removed from court as he was shouting.
Jahiri (35), originally from Kosovo but of no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty to a charge of murdering Anna Finnegan (25) at Allendale Glen, Clonsilla, Dublin 15 on 21 September, 2012.
He had also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Karl Finnegan, causing him harm, at the same place on the same date.
When Jahiri left the courtroom Mr Justice Coffey said that he had to exclude him as he was disturbing the process of the court but he would bring him back into court after a sentence date was set.
Following today’s verdicts, Mr Justice Coffey thanked the jury for their time and exempted them from jury service for life.
“Thank you for the great care and fastidious attention you have given to this long and difficult case,” he said. The court adjourned sentencing until 8 May.
Jahiri was then brought back into court by the prison officers and the judge told him that his sentence date was fixed for 8 May. Addressing Jahiri, Mr Justice Coffey said: “You are entitled to free legal aid and entitled to instruct lawyers but it is entirely a matter for you.”
Jahiri then started to shout: “What you mean sentence, what conviction, what am I convicted for?”
Mr Justice Coffey remanded Jahiri in custody until that date when two victim impact statements will be before the court.
Comments have been closed as the case remains before the courts.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say