Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has responded to the guilty verdict passed down on Stephen Silver of the capital murder of Garda Colm Horkan.

Garda Horkan was shot 11 times with his own gun on the afternoon on June 17, 2020.

A jury of seven men and five women deliberated for a total of eight hours and 39 minutes before returning their verdict to Ms Justice Tara Burns on Wednesday.

In a statement Commissioner Harris said it was 'a sombre day' for the family and friends of Colm Horkan, as well as Garda's wider Garda family, which he was a part of for 25 years.

'Colm went to work in Castlerea Garda Station on the 17th June 2020. It was a routine day's work for Colm.

'Colm was murdered on duty and never came home to his family,' the statement noted.

The Commissioner stated that Detective Garda Horkan's death 'reinforces' to every member of An Garda S铆ochana the realities of the 'dangers and uncertainty' of the work they face daily.

Commissioner Harris paid tribute to the Garda investigation team in Castlerea who, supported by the wider community of An Garda S铆och谩na, investigated all circumstances of the garda's death.

'That investigation is a tribute to the professionalism of An Garda S铆och谩na and to Colm.'

He also added that the force 'stand with and support' Det. Garda Horkan's family; his father Marty, siblings and wider family and friends, also paying tribute to his late mother Dolores, and late twin sister Colette.

'Today, as every day, we remember our colleague Colm who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the local community he served so well.

'He will always be remembered as the kind, caring man, and professional and empathetic Garda, that he was.'

Mr Silver, 46, made no reaction to the verdict when it was handed down, and now faces the mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years in prison following the conviction.

The trial heard that Garda Horkan was a well-regarded member of the force with no disciplinary issues on his record.

The prosecution told the jury that their colleague had no idea that he would be shot dead with his own gun nine hours after signing it out on the morning on June 17.

They added that Silver had a 'seething resentment' towards the force and said the shooting of Garda Horkan was 'a deliberate action done with the intent of murder.'