Convicted murderer found guilty of stabbing his great-uncle to death in Manchester
A convicted murderer who stabbed his great-uncle more than 70 times as he slept has been found guilty of his "brutal" murder.
Direece Roche, 30, wore a balaclava as he attacked Fintan McDwyer with a knife after entering his house in Manchester through an upstairs window in the early hours of Sunday, 30 June 2024.
The dad-of-three, described by family as a " gentle giant", was stabbed 71 times as he lay in bed.
Emergency services attended the 64-year-old's property on Platt Lane, Fallowfield, at 8:50am on Monday, 1 July 2024, where they discovered his body. Roche was arrested five days later.
Footage from a camera used to monitor Mr McDwyer's dog in his front room captured audio which led investigators to believe the attack lasted around 90 seconds in total.
Police gathered CCTV from the area showing Roche jumping over garden fences as he fled the scene and traces of Mr Dwyer's blood and Roche's DNA were found in a neighbour's garden.
The knife used by Roche, his trainers and his balaclava were never recovered.
Nicola Carter, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West said: 'Direece Roche planned carried out the brutal murder of his own relative as he lay in bed.
'Roche attempted to conceal his identity by wearing a balaclava as he walked the streets of Manchester before and after murdering his great uncle.
'Roche failed to take full responsibility for his actions, pleading not guilty to murder, claiming self-defence and loss of control."
The Crown Prosecution Service applied for Roche's previous convictions to be put before the jury to "show his prior bad character".
He was jailed in 2011 after stabbing a 23-year-old care worker to death in Salford after a New Year's Eve party when he was 16 years old.
Nicola Carter added: 'While nothing can bring Mr McDwyer back, I hope his family, and in particular his three sons who have had to sit through this trial, can begin to move forward knowing Roche will face the consequences of his actions.'
Roche, from Manchester, will be will be sentenced at a later date.
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