DANIEL MURTAGH has been found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend Nadine Lott.
30-year-old Nadine, who died on December 17, 2019, had been beaten by her former partner to the point where she was "completely unrecognisable" three days earlier.
Her injuries, which she never recovered from, were described as "extreme and grotesque".
Murtagh, 34, of Melrose Close, Bawnogue, Clondalkin, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter, on the grounds that he was too intoxicated to have formed the intent to kill Nadine.
The attack happened on December 14, 2019, at Ms Lott’s apartment in St Mary’s Court, Arklow.
The 30-year-old never regained consciousness afterwards and died on December 17 in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.
His defence team claimed that her death would not have happened if it weren't for the "drink and drugs" Daniel ingested that night.
However, it took the 12 jurors just five hours and 46 minutes over two days to unanimously reject Murtagh's defence.
The jury accepted the State's case that this was a case of murder and "nothing short of murder".
In his closing speech, prosecution counsel John O'Kelly SC argued that there was no defence of intoxication in the case and said Murtagh had the "clearest intent" when he inflicted the "most dreadful blunt trauma injuries" to the beauty therapist's face.
"Just look at what the accused didn't do and what he never tried to do - he never raised a hand to get Nadine any kind of help," he stressed.
Murtagh showed little reaction following the verdict while members of Ms Lott's family, who filled an entire bench in the courtroom, hugged and comforted one another.
After today's verdict was delivered, Nadine Lott's family stood in silence outside the Central Criminal Court wearing masks with her name printed on them.
See More: Daniel Murtagh, Nadine Lott, Verdict
