UPDATED: Mark Kerrigan to Be Sentenced Thursday in Woburn Court

After 15 hours of deliberation, the 12-person jury acquitted Mark Kerrigan of involuntary manslaughter and guilty on a simple assault and battery charge shortly before noon Wednesday in Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn.

Juror no. 30, who served as the floor person, announced the verdict, which was unanimous. 

Mark Kerrigan's Attorney Janice Bassil requested at least 24 hours to prepare for sentencing and Judge S. Jane Haggerty obliged. Haggerty said sentencing will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Mark Kerrigan, 46, of Stoneham, may face up to 2 1/2 years in prison on the assault and battery charge, a misdemeanor. He was on trial for allegedly causing the death of his 70-year-old father Daniel Kerrigan during an altercation on Jan. 24, 2010.

At about 12:15 p.m., Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, Mark Kerrigan's sister, on behalf of her family following the verdict.

"My family has never believed at all that my brother had anything to do with my father's death," she said. "And my dad never would have wanted any of this."

Immediately after Nancy Kerrigan's statement, Bassil and fellow defense Attorney Hank Brennan commented on the verdict.

"I would have liked not guilty on everything," Bassil confessed. "I don't think the government made its case. I'm glad the jury saw the truth that there was no manslaughter here, there was no killing here... and that's all I can say."

"Clearly this verdict demonstrates to us... that (Mark Kerrigan) is not responsible for the death of his father and that is a very important thing for him and his family and we're grateful for the consideration (the jury) gave," Brennan added.

Brenda Kerrigan, Daniel Kerrigan's wife, and Nancy Kerrigan have the right to make a statement during sentencing and they will, Bassil said.

Meanwhile, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone made a statement regarding the Mark Kerrigan case.

"We continue to believe that were it not for the actions of this defendant, we would not be here today and Mr. (Daniel) Kerrigan would not have died in the manner that he did... on the floor of his home,” Leone said at a news conference after the verdict was announced. “Daniel Kerrigan met a troubling end, but the most sad part of this is the fact that the last face he saw before he died was an angry face of a person who should have loved and protected him, and that’s not what he saw."