Timothy Murnane's death left 'huge void', son says

A sentencing hearing over the manslaughter of 80-year-old Timothy 'Teddy' Murnane has heard that the father-of-three's "extremely violent" death has left a "huge void" in his shattered family's lives.

Sean Harding, of Marian Terrace in Tipperary town, was last week found not guilty of Mr Murnane's murder but guilty of his manslaughter during a burglary at the deceased's home at Michaels Avenue in Tipperary Town on 12 September 2025.

Harding, who has 141 previous convictions, had originally pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder, adding that he was guilty of manslaughter.

He had also pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, two at St Michael's Avenue on 12 September last year and a third at another address at St Michael's Avenue between 11 and 12 September.

In a series of victim impact statements read aloud by Karl Finnegan, Senior Counsel for the prosecution this afternoon, Mr Murnane's son Patrick Murnane , wrote that finding his father the night he was attacked was "the hardest day of my life".

He added that his father, had worked hard to provide financial and emotional support to his family, "until a criminal took it all away".

Describing his death as "extremely violent", Mr Murnane said he would not wish what happened to his father on another soul.

In her victim impact statement, Mr Murnane's daughter Rachel said her father's death had left an enormous void in their family.

She added that the family had looked forward to having their father in their lives for many more years, particularly as he had been in good health.

However now, Christmas would never be the same for the family and had become a painful reminder of his absence.

Rachel added that her sense of safety had completely changed since her father's death, replaced by caution and fear, noting that while security cameras had been installed in their family home where the incident occurred, it no longer felt like a place of security.

She spoke about how activities she had previously done without a second thought had become difficult, noting that if she goes for a run and there is nobody else around, she turns and leaves.

Rachel also struggled to come to terms with the fear her father must have felt before he was killed, and that the image identifying him following his death would haunt her forever - adding that she now sees the injuries he had sustained every night before going to sleep.

Mr Murnane's youngest son Timothy, who lives in Canada, wrote that what was taken from their family following their father's death "can't be measured".

Timothy spoke of the family's plans of a surprise visit to his home in Canada during Christmas 2025, which then became "the saddest Christmas he could imagine".

He added that his father's death had dramatically affected his life, and that he now struggles with stress and a sleep disorder.

He has also paused his career advancement indefinitely due to the grief and anger he continues to experience.

"I get distracted by the deep sorrow and outrage of that night," he added.

He spoke of how he still tries to call his father to talk about his day or about hurling, and that Mr Murnane had been robbed of the opportunity to meet his first great grandchild, a baby girl due in December.

He also warned that his family were fearful about Harding being released, particularly because he could again be living in close proximity to his mother – as his own family lives close by.

Prosecution Senior Counsel Karl Finnegan, in his submission on sentence, said that that the appropriate headline sentence for Harding was between 10 and 15 years, towards the higher end of that range.

He added that the manslaughter occurred during a burglary at Mr Murnane's own home, adding that there was no question of provocation from Mr Murnane or self-defence from Harding.

Mr Finnegan also noted Mr Murnane's multiple injuries to the head, highlighting that this case was not a "one-punch fatality".

He then highlighted Mr Murnane's attempts to defend himself, and the disparity in age between Harding, who was 31 at the time, and Mr Murnane, who was 80.

Defence Senior Counsel Dean Kelly argued that while Harding's culpability was high, the sentence should be towards the medium or lower end of the sentencing range.

He described the case as, in effect, an assault manslaughter, arguing that Harding had not armed himself with a weapon despite having every opportunity to do so, and that there had been no previous history of violence or cruelty towards Mr Murnane, adding that of Harding's 141 previous convictions, one was for a section two assault.

Mr Kelly also noted Harding's guilty plea to manslaughter, his admissions to gardaí, his expressions of remorse and his cooperation with the investigation.

He said that Harding was "the black sheep" of what was a law-abiding family, and that he has had longstanding issues with drug addiction since the age of 15.

Harding then relapsed following the death of his father in 2024 and used drugs "destructively" throughout 2025.

Mr Kelly told the court that Harding has "transformed himself to a significant degree" since going into custody, adding that he maintains a perfect disciplinary record in Limerick Prison, works as a cleaner, attends counselling and plans to pursue an education.

The court also heard that Harding now faces the prospect of watching his children grow up from a great distance while in prison.

Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford adjourned the case until 14 December, when Harding is due to be sentenced.