Sean Harding stands trial at the Central Criminal Court in Co Cork, pleading guilty to manslaughter while denying the murder of 80-year-old Timothy “Teddy” Murnane, who suffered fatal head injuries outside his Co Tipperary home in September 2025.rte.ie reported that the jury of seven women and five men heard opening arguments focusing on whether the accused intended to kill or cause serious bodily harm.
The Evidence of the September Attack
Senior Counsel for the prosecution Karl Finnegan laid out the state’s case before Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford, detailing how the events unfolded on the evening of 12 September 2025.rte.ie reported that Mr Harding stole tools from a shed in Mr Murnane’s back garden at St Michael’s Avenue in Tipperary town, returning a second time between 9pm and 10pm.
When Mr Murnane went outside to investigate a noise in his garage, his wife discovered him shortly afterward in the back garden. rte.ie reported that first responders found the 80-year-old unresponsive, bleeding from the ear, and breathing with difficulty, with swelling and bruising around his eye.
Mr Murnane was transferred to University Hospital Limerick, where doctors recorded multiple skull fractures, low-level consciousness, and severe head injuries. rte.ie reported that he died two days later on 14 September 2025.
Pathologist Details Fatal Head Injuries and DNA Evidence
State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers conducted the post-mortem examination and concluded that Mr Murnane died from complications arising from blunt force trauma to the head. rte.ie reported that Dr Okkers found extensive swelling, bruising, and multiple fractures on the back of the skull, pointing to multiple strikes from a fist and a flat-surfaced object alongside defensive injuries.
Investigators recovered a black bag in the victim’s shed carrying Mr Harding’s DNA on the straps. rte.ie reported that during his garda interview following his arrest on 13 September 2025, Mr Harding admitted entering the shed for tools and barging past the homeowner when he heard someone approach.
The accused stated to gardaí that he did not mean to hurt Mr Murnane. Upon learning of the victim’s death in the hospital, Mr Harding reportedly said, “I’m after killing someone. I didn’t mean to kill him.”
Accused Pleads Guilty to Theft Charges as Murder Trial Continues
Mr Harding, now 32 years of age and residing at Marian Terrace in Tipperary town, has pleaded guilty to three counts of theft. rte.ie reported that two of those theft counts occurred at St Michael’s Avenue on 12 September 2025, while a third occurred at another address on the same street between 11 and 12 September 2025.
The central question before the court remains the charge of murder. rte.ie reported that the trial continues and is expected to run until 13 November.
