Dublin - A Chinese asylum seeker has been found guilty of murdering an Irish postmaster, the Irish Times newspaper reported Tuesday. Shu Shen, 25, had admitted killing Alan Cunniffe, 32, after a robbery at a post office in Kilkenny, south-eastern Ireland in December 2006, but had denied the charge of murder.

The Chinese national shot Cunniffe in the stomach with a modified air pistol after the postmaster chased him following the robbery of 13,000 euros in cash.

Shu Shen is led away from the Central Criminal Court yesterday after being found guilty of the murder of postmaster Alan Cunniffe.

Shu Shen, formerly of The Old Rectory, New Ross, Co Wexford, had arrived in Ireland on a student visa in 2003. He claimed he was fleeing persecution in China because of his membership of the Falun Gong religious movement which is banned by Beijing.

However, representatives of Falun Gong in Ireland said they had never heard of him and added that killing is strictly forbidden under Falun Gong.

Shu Shen will be sentenced on Friday.  

(Earthtimes.org, Tue, November 27, 2007 )

Original text from: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/148728.html