Colm was a gentleman, he deserved this verdict

Family of slain officer Horkan tell of relief at court | Killer is facing mandatory 40yrs prison sentence

- RYAN DUNNE

THE family of Colm Horkan said the slain Garda "deserved this verdict" as Stephen Silver was convicted yesterday of his capital murder.

Silver, 46, who blasted Det Horkan 11 times with his own weapon, faces a mandatory 40 years in prison after being found guilty following a second trial.

The initial case collapsed at the Central Criminal Court last November after the jury said it had a disagreement it was unable to resolve.

Silver gave no reaction yesterday as the second jury returned its verdict following eight hours and 39 minutes of deliberations, As it was read out, family, colleagues and friends of Gda Horkan hugged each other.

His father Marty fought back tears as he said the verdict was the one the family had wanted and the one his wonderful son deserved.

Stephen Silver's wife sobbed at the back of court and said loudly that her husband "was a sick man" when he killed the detective garda.

Outside the court, Gda Horkan's brother Brendan read a prepared statement on behalf of the family.

He said: "Colm was the best of us, a gentleman through and through. He deserved this verdict today.

"We were horrified and shocked to the core to learn of the circumstances which led to Colm's death as he went about his job policing the streets and keeping the general public protected and safe at all times.

MEMORY

"Colm was a fantastic son, brother, uncle and friend, and his memory remains etched in our minds every minute of every day and today's verdict, while giving us some closure, will never replace the man who was the glue in our family that bonded all together. We love him dearly."