Aaron Connolly to be retried over Cameron Reilly murder charge

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Aaron Connolly is to be retried before a jury at the Central Criminal Court on a charge of murdering Cameron Reilly. On 24 June 2026, Justice Paul McDermott set the retrial for 23 November 2026. A case management date was set for 24 July 2026.

Connolly, of Willistown, Drumcar, had pleaded not guilty to murdering 18-year-old Cameron Reilly at Shamrock Hill, Dunleer, Co Louth, on 26 May 2018.

A jury found Connolly guilty by a unanimous verdict in December 2022. Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed the mandatory life sentence. The sentencing proceedings were reported on 20 December 2022.

On 18 May 2026, the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction. Mr Justice John Edwards said the trial judge’s charge to the jury lacked balance and that parts could have been perceived as advocacy for the prosecution. The Court of Appeal ordered a retrial on 4 June 2026.

Justice McDermott subsequently remanded Connolly on bail with strict conditions, including that he live with his parents and not leave the house unaccompanied.

Reilly had been socialising with a group in a field on 25 May 2018. His body was found in the field the following morning. The jury heard that he died from asphyxia caused by pressure to his neck.

The prosecution said Connolly had returned to the field with Reilly. Connolly initially told gardaí they had gone separate ways. After the trial began, he admitted sexual activity between them but maintained that Reilly was alive when he left him. The jury was told that Connolly’s DNA was found on Reilly’s body.

Prosecuting counsel Dean Kelly said Connolly had lied throughout the investigation and rejected the suggestion that he had lied to protect his private life or sexual preferences. Defence counsel Michael Bowman said lies could be told out of fear and panic and were not enough to prove murder.