It was the State's case that Juris Kokenbergs died after his head was "stomped" on and blows "rained down on him" during an assault by his friend Tomas Cypas. The jurors had the option of returning three verdicts in relation to the murder charge against Cypas, namely; guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. Cypas said Mr Kokenbergs "came at" him first and had "started the punches", so he acted in self-defence. He denied stamping on Mr Kokenbergs' head during the assault. The trial heard evidence that three areas of blood-staining with DNA matching that of Mr Kokenbergs were found on the defendant's runner.

Source: Irish Examiner March 09, 2026 23:32 UTC