Court archive
Court reports mentioning Portlaw, Waterford
2023-11-07 · Waterford
In Waterford, Stephen Keane, aged 33, was convicted of the brutal murder of 60‑year‑old John Lowe on 13 December 2018 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Keane had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not to murder. He claimed he struck Lowe once with a punch, that Lowe had approached him with a knife, and that he was intoxicated and had no legal advice when he made admissions to Gardaí. The trial judge ruled the Garda notebook entries of Keane's admissions admissible, and the jury found him guilty. Keane appealed, arguing that the admissions were made while he was intoxicated and should have been excluded. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, affirming the trial judge's decision that the evidence was admissible and that the judge had correctly applied the law on voluntariness and fairness. The conviction and life sentence remain in force.
2023-06-08 · Waterford
Stephen Keane, 33, of Coolfin Meadows, Portlaw, was convicted of murder for the death of John Lowe, 60, in December 2018. He had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not to murder. Keane claimed intoxication and that he had only struck Lowe once, but the trial judge allowed admissions he made to Gardaí during pre‑detention interviews and notebook entries to be admitted as evidence. Keane's lawyers argue that these admissions were made while he was intoxicated, without legal advice, and should have been excluded. They contend the judge erred in admitting the Garda notebook entries and in not applying the same fairness test used for the first two interviews. The Court of Appeal will decide on June 15. The case remains at the appeal stage, with no verdict yet.
2022-01-17 · Waterford
A 23‑year‑old Stephen Butler was jailed for four years after he killed his 48‑year‑old father John Butler during a fist‑fight that erupted moments after the pair left a pub in Portlaw, Co. Waterford. Butler told gardai he did not intend to kill his father and claimed the fight was simply a row. He pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter. After an eight‑day trial in October 2021, the jury accepted his defence and he was remanded for sentencing. At the hearing, Mr Justice Paul Burns noted the lack of premeditation, no weapon, and Butler's remorse. The judge sentenced Butler to five years' imprisonment, with the final year suspended for five years, citing his lack of prior convictions, early guilty plea, cooperation with investigators and genuine remorse. The case highlighted the tragic impact on Butler's sister Katilyn, who lost her father and now struggles to forgive her brother.
2021-12-13 · Wexford
In a Central Criminal Court hearing, 19‑year‑old Katilyn Butler testified that her life was "changed forever" after her mother informed her that her father, John Butler, had died from injuries sustained in a fight with her brother, Stephen Butler. Katilyn, who still loves her brother but says she can never fully forgive him, described the shock of learning of her father's death at 4 a.m. at University Hospital Waterford, two hours after the altercation. She recounted the emotional impact, her anger toward Stephen, and her hope to rebuild their relationship. The court also heard a victim impact statement from Stephen's brother, William Butler, who lamented the loss of a family member. Stephen Butler, aged 23, had pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter; the jury found him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, and he was remanded for sentencing. Mr Justice Paul Burns adjourned the sentencing until 24 January.
2021-06-14 · Waterford
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 14 June 2021, Stephen Keane, aged 31, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 60‑year‑old John Lowe in Portlaw, Waterford, on 13 December 2018. The court heard victim impact statements from three of Lowe's sisters, who described the loss of their brother and the emotional devastation caused by his brutal death. Keane had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not to murder, claiming a single punch after an alleged argument over a silver box and that Lowe had approached him with a knife – evidence that gardaí could not confirm. The jury heard that Keane had attempted to resuscitate Lowe and that he was heavily intoxicated on the day of the incident. The life sentence was back‑dated to the date of the murder. The judge offered condolences to Lowe's family. The hearing concluded with the sentence imposed. Stephen Keane was found guilty.