A man accused of killing Irish pensioner John Mackey in London has been convicted.
Peter Augustine, 59, had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was absent from court during the verdict.
In a unanimous decision, the 12-member jury found him guilty of both murder and robbery, reports RTE.
John Mackey, originally from Callan, Co Kilkenny, had spent most of his life living in London.
Members of his family broke down in tears as the verdict was announced at the Old Bailey in London.
Augustine is scheduled to be sentenced on 28 November, reports RTE.
His defence barrister, Jenni Dempster KC, asked Belmarsh Prison to inform Augustine of the guilty verdict.
During her closing statement, Judge Sarah Whitehouse praised the “dignity” shown by the Mackey family, reports RTE.
“I would like to thank you for the very dignified way you have sat through this trial,” she said.
“All of you have behaved impeccably, and the court is most grateful to you,” she added, reports RTE.
On the previous day, Augustine had been removed from the courtroom due to his disruptive behaviour and refusal to answer questions while testifying.
He repeatedly shouted at people in court and declared that he would not return to the courtroom, reports RTE.
Prosecutors claimed Augustine attacked Mr Mackey on 6 May, delivering blunt force blows to his head and chest. Augustine maintained that he never harmed the pensioner.
“I took the bag and I ran,” he shouted multiple times in court, reports RTE.
When police arrested Augustine at the Beaconsfield Hotel on 8 May, they discovered empty containers in his room that matched the groceries John Mackey had purchased. The food appeared to have been eaten.
In his police interview, Augustine claimed he had picked up the shopping bag after it was blown away by the wind, reports RTE.
However, during this week’s trial, he admitted to the jury that he had lied during that interview.
He confessed that he had taken the bag directly from John Mackey’s hand before running away, reports RTE.
Augustine insisted he never hurt Mr Mackey and claimed he did not see the 87-year-old man fall to the ground.
A forensic pathologist testified that John Mackey sustained severe brain injuries consistent with kicking and stamping, reports RTE.
Dr Matthew Cieka detailed that Mr Mackey suffered numerous bruises and abrasions on his head, neck, back, arms, and chest.
He also sustained two fractured ribs, reports RTE.
The force of the blows caused Mr Mackey’s brain to move several times within his skull, the court heard.
Although evidence showed that Mr Mackey had Alzheimer’s disease, no medical condition was found that could have led to his death, reports RTE.
Dr Cieka concluded that John Mackey died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and chest.
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