Eoin Reynolds

 

Wife strangled by husband told him she wanted her own life, trial hears

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Published 11/5/2021, in Central Criminal Court

A 30-year-old mother-of-three who was strangled to death by her husband told him in text messages that she wanted her own life and wanted him to leave her alone, a murder trial jury has heard.

In what were described as a series of “bickering” text messages sent over several months, Rafal Karaczyn also repeatedly told his wife Natalia Karaczyn that he loved her and and asked her to forgive him and give him another chance.

The jury also heard from Chief State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan, who gave evidence that Natalia had bruises to her chin, above her eyes and on ….read more

Husband who strangled wife was due to move out of family home, murder trial hears

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Published 10/5/2021, in Central Criminal Court

(Pictured: Witness Mr Piotr Krawacki, who gave evidence today. Credit: Collins)

A husband who strangled his wife in her bedroom was due to move out of the family home within a couple of weeks, his trial has heard.

Rafal Karaczyn (35) of Crozon Park, Sligo has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for the killing of his wife Natalia Karaczyn (30) at their home in Crozon Park between April 29 and May 1, 2018. The trial has previously heard that Ms Karaczyn, who wanted to end the marriage, returned home in the early hours after having sex with another ….read more

Husband described lying down beside wife's body after strangling her, witness tells murder trial

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Published 7/5/2021, in Central Criminal Court

(Pictured: Witness Ms Magdalena McMorrow. Credit: Collins)

A murder accused described how he lay down beside his wife’s body for “10 to 15 minutes” after he strangled her with his bare hands, her sister has told a Central Criminal Court trial.  

Magdalena McMorrow also said that the accused man Rafal Karaczyn repeatedly lied to her in the immediate aftermath of her sister’s death, maintaining that he didn’t know what had happened to her and then telling her that his wife Natalia had gotten on the wrong side of a Traveller family and that he found her dead in her bedroom.

Four days after ….read more

Husband strangled wife after she slept with other man, murder trial hears

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Published 6/5/2021, in Central Criminal Court

A father-of-three strangled his wife when she arrived home in the early hours after having sexual intercourse with another man, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

Opening the trial of Rafal Karaczyn today Conor Devally SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the accused man’s marriage to Natalia Karaczyn was “not terribly happy” but they stayed living together for their children, to whom they were devoted.

Natalia was “anxious to move on” from the marriage, Mr Devally said, and on the Saturday night before she died she went out with friends and went to another man’s house where she had ….read more

Jury sworn-in for trial of husband accused of murdering wife

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Published 5/5/2021, in Central Criminal Court

A jury has been sworn-in to hear the trial of a Polish man who admits killing but denies the murder of his wife in Sligo three years ago.

Rafal Karaczyn (35), of Crozon Park, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of his 30-year-old wife Natalia Karaczyn, also from Poland, at their family home in Crozon Park between April 29th, 2018 and May 1st, 2018.

Today nine women and three men were sworn in as jurors to hear the trial in front of Ms Justice Eileen Creedon. The trial is expected to last up to two weeks ….read more

Ros na Run rapist withdraws sentence appeal

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Published 30/4/2021, in Court of Appeal

(Pictured: Garrett Phillips. Credit: Collins)

Former Ros na Run actor Garrett Phillips has withdrawn an appeal against his sentence for raping a young woman in Galway four years ago.

The Court of Appeal previously rejected an appeal against his rape conviction but his sentence appeal was due to go ahead this morning. Fiona Murphy SC, for Phillips, told the three-judge court that her client wishes to withdraw his appeal. President of the court Mr Justice George Birmingham accepted the withdrawal.

Phillips (48) a father of two of St Mary’s Terrace, Taylor’s Hill, Galway, was convicted by a 11-1 majority verdict of a single ….read more

Man who stabbed love rival to death appeals murder conviction

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Published 30/4/2021, in Court of Appeal

A Dublin man who stabbed his love rival to death after finding him in his home late at night with his girlfriend has appealed his murder conviction.

Lawyers for Keith Connorton said the trial judge should not have allowed the prosecution to introduce statements made to gardai by his girlfriend Clare McGrath, who blamed Connorton for the stabbing but then changed her evidence during his trial.

They also argued that a 999 call in which she blamed Connorton should have been ruled out because what she said may have been “concocted” or “fabricated”.

Keith Connorton (42) had denied murdering 32-year-old Graham McKeever ….read more

Champagne burglar has sentence reduced

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Published 30/4/2021, in Court of Appeal

A burglar who wielded a champagne bottle when he entered his female neighbour’s house in the middle of the night has had his sentence reduced by the Court of Appeal.

Jack McCarthy (24), of Ardbhaile, Mayfield, Co Cork carried out the burglary on April 11 at a house near his home in Ardbhaile. He was sentenced at Cork Circuit Court last year to four years in prison with the final year suspended for two years.

President of the three-judge Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham today said the court would reduce that sentence to three years with the final six ….read more

Romanian man stole thousands by tampering with ATMs

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Published 29/4/2021, in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

A man stole over €8,500 by tampering with numerous ATMs around Dublin over a three-day period, a court has heard.

Elvis Chiriac (35) employed what is called a “Transaction Reversal Fraud” in order to withdraw the maximum amount of money from an ATM without the machine registering that the cash had been removed.

Chiriac with an address in Bacău, Romania, came forward on signed pleas of guilty to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for 15 counts of theft at various AIB ATMs and AIB banks at locations in Co Dublin on dates between 8 January, 2020 and 10 January, 2020.

Detective Garda Gareth Lennon ….read more

Teen murderer loses appeal against life with review sentence

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Published 28/4/2021, in Court of Appeal

(Pictured: Mr Justice Seamus Woulfe, who delivered judgement today. Credit: Collins)

A teenager who pleaded guilty last year to murdering his friend Glen “Ossie” Osborne has lost an appeal against the severity of his sentence of life imprisonment with a review after ten years.

James Dwyer SC, for the 17-year-old who cannot be named because he is a minor, had argued before the three-judge Court of Appeal that the sentencing judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, did not give enough consideration to his client’s remorse, his early guilty plea and his efforts at rehabilitation.

Counsel said that another teenager who was found guilty ….read more

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