Tipperary farmer Patrick Quirke found guilty of murdering 'love rival'

The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin

A County Tipperary farmer has been found guilty of murdering a part-time DJ described as his love rival.

Patrick Quirke, 50, of Breanshamore had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Bobby Ryan, 52, known as Mr Moonlight.

Mr Ryan went missing on 3 June 2011 after leaving his girlfriend Mary Lowry's farm.

His body was found by Quirke nearby in an underground run-off tank on 30 April 2013.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that the prosecution said Quirke killed Mr Ryan and later staged the discovery of his remains because his lease on the farm was coming to an end and he feared the body would be discovered by someone else.

Prosecutors said the trial was about "love and money" and that Quirke was financially and emotionally dependent on Ms Lowry, so tried to sabotage her relationship with Mr Ryan.

Blunt force trauma

They said he wanted Mr Ryan out of the way so he could resume his relationship with Ms Lowry.

The jury began deliberations on Tuesday and delivered a majority verdict after a 15-week trial.

Quirke had told gardaí (Irish police) in April 2013 that he had been pumping water from the disused tank when he discovered Mr Ryan's body.

The decomposed body had been stripped naked and left in the tank, covered with a concrete slab.

A post-mortem examination showed Mr Ryan, who was also a quarry worker, had died from blunt force trauma.

He had sustained multiple fractures to his skull and to his ribs and leg.

Affair rekindled

Gardaí found evidence that a home computer had been used to search for the rate of decomposition of human remains in water.

The prosecution said this "could not be explained away" and that it would be an affront to common sense to find Quirke not guilty.

Defence lawyers had argued that the case against Quirke was based on a theory and not on any hard evidence.

Quirke had been best friends with Mrs Lowry's late husband and after his death the court heard that he offered her support and help on the farm and their friendship developed into a relationship.

The relationship ended, but Quirke continued to have access to the farm under a seven-year lease agreement.

The jury heard that the affair was briefly rekindled after Mr Ryan's disappearance.