Man convicted of murder of two Irish soldiers in Lebanon in 1980 Private Thomas Barrett and Private Derek Smallhorne were killed while on a peacekeeping mission over 40 years ago. By Órla Ryan Tuesday 22 Dec 2020, 7:27 AM Dec 22nd 2020, 7:27 AM 30,377 Views 10 Comments Mahmoud Bazzi pictured in Michigan in the US in 2014. Image: MCT/SIPA USA/PA Images Mahmoud Bazzi pictured in Michigan in the US in 2014. Image: MCT/SIPA USA/PA Images A MAN HAS been convicted of the murder of two Irish soliders in Lebanon in 1980, Defence Minister Simon Coveney has confirmed. The trial of Mahmoud Bazzi (76) by a Lebanese Military Tribunal in Beirut Lebanon has been ongoing since June 2015.