A Westmeath man on trial, charged with murdering the mother of his two children, showed investigating gardaí how he had choked her following a row in her new home.

Danny Keena of Empor, Ballynacargy, Co Westmeath is charged with the murder of 43-year-old Brigid Maguire by strangling her.

The 55-year-old farmer has pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to her manslaughter at Main Street, Ballynacargy on November 14, 2015.

Detective Sergeant Brian Willoughby told the Central Criminal Court today that he had interviewed the accused a number of times following his arrest. The court heard that Mr Keena had turned up at ….read more

An alleged victim of an assault in which his friend died described the lead-up to the fatal stabbing at a murder trial today.

Conor Hogan, from Taghmon in Wexford, told prosecution counsel John O’Kelly SC that he was out with his friend James Banville celebrating his first week in a new job on October 8, 2016.

He described how himself and Mr Banville drank in a few pubs and twice assaulted Brazilian national Juraci Da Silva on the streets of Waterford City before Mr Da Silva ran after them and stabbed them, leaving Mr Hogan needing stitches and Mr Banville dead ….read more

The niece of a man charged with murdering the mother of his two children has said he had previously threatened to ‘run the car into her’ if he met the deceased on the road.

Mary Wallace Jnr was giving evidence to the Central Criminal Court this morning, on the second day of her uncle’s murder trial.

Danny Keena of Empor, Ballynacargy, Co Westmeath is charged with the murder of 43-year-old Brigid Maguire by strangling her.

The 54-year-old farmer has pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to her manslaughter at Main Street, Ballynacargy on November 14, 2015.

Ms Wallace told Remy Farrell SC, prosecuting, ….read more

A Westmeath woman, whose father strangled her mother, has told his murder trial that he had previously threatened to kill the deceased while waving a hammer and then a poker at her.

Jade Maguire, who found her mother dead two years ago, gave evidence to the Central Criminal Court today.

Danny Keena, of Empor, Ballynacargy, Co Westmeath, is charged with the murder of 41-year-old Brigid Maguire at Main Street, Ballynacargy on November 14, 2015.

The 54-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to her manslaughter.

Ms Maguire told Remy Farrell SC, prosecuting, that she and her brother had lived with their parents ….read more

A Brazilian man was out for revenge when he stabbed another man to death after being assaulted in the early hours of the morning, a prosecution barrister told a murder trial jury today.

Juraci Da Silva (36), with an address at Park Lane in Waterford, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of 28-year-old James Banville at New Street in Waterford on October 8, 2016. His plea was not accepted by the State and he is on trial at the Central Criminal Court.

He also pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Wexford man Conor Hogan and ….read more

A Westmeath man has gone on trial, charged with murdering the mother of his children by strangling her in her home two years ago.

Danny Keena of Empor, Ballynacargy, Co Westmeath is charged with the murder of 41-year-old Brigid Maguire at Main Street, Ballynacargy on November 14, 2015.

The 54-year-old was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court this morning and pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to her manslaughter.

However, this plea was not accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions and a jury of seven men and five women was sworn in to hear his trial.

Remy Farrell SC, prosecuting, told the ….read more

The victim of a child rapist has told a court how the man subjected him to 12 years of sexual and mental torture.

The Mayo resident pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 20 counts of oral and anal rape of the boy between August 1997 and and April 2008.

He also pleaded guilty to eleven counts of raping his own daughter. These attacks began in mid 2007 and continued regularly for two years.

The man cannot be named to protect the identity of the victims. The court heard that rumours in the local rural community have resulted in his complete ostracism ….read more

A jury has been sworn-in to hear the trial of a Brazilian man accused of murder and assault causing harm in Waterford City.

Juraci Da Silva (36) had an address at Park Lane Apartments in Waterford on October 8, 2016 when he is accused of murdering 28-year-old James Banville at New Street in the city.

He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but guilty to manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court today. His plea was not accepted by the State and his trial is due to begin in front of a jury of six men and six women tomorrow morning.

He also ….read more

(Pictured: Alan McNamara. Credit: Collins)

A Limerick biker will be sentenced to life in prison in October, after being found guilty of murdering a member of a rival motorcycle club two years ago.

Alan ‘Cookie McNamara, a 51-year-old from Mountfune, Murroe, Co Limerick had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Andrew ‘AOD’ O’Donoghue at the gates of the Road Tramps motorcycle club at Mountfune on June 20, 2015.

The jury delivered a unanimous verdict to the Central Criminal Court this afternoon.

The seven men and four women had been asked to decide if the accused was acting in defence of himself and his ….read more

A Limerick man who had his conviction for murdering his partner quashed, and was subsequently jailed for her manslaughter, is allegedly not complying with the terms of his suspended sentence, the
Central Criminal Court has heard.

On foot of his guilty plea to manslaughter which was accepted by the State, Kieran Lynch (50) was sentenced last year to 12 years imprisonment with four suspended for her manslaughter but had already served his time.

Lynch was sentenced to life in prison in March 2007, after a Central Criminal Court jury found him guilty of the murder of 36-year-old Catherine McEnery.

The Askeaton native had pleaded ….read more