Alan Cawley jailed for murdering Mayo brothers

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

Alan Cawley was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of murdering brothers Jack and Tom Blaine. The proceedings were reported on 25 July 2017.

Cawley admitted killing the brothers but denied murder. He argued that mental disorders had diminished his responsibility, a defence that could reduce murder to manslaughter.

The brothers, who had special needs and were physically and mentally vulnerable, died from multiple injuries after a prolonged assault at their home in Castlebar, County Mayo. Their bodies were found in the early hours of 10 July 2013.

The State psychiatrist said Cawley had acted impulsively while extremely intoxicated. Defence counsel Caroline Biggs said he had a mental disorder and had been on medication for years; she said he had been released from prison days before the killings without a prescription for tranquillisers. She cited a defence psychiatrist's opinion that his personality disorders and ADHD had diminished his responsibility.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey told the jury to consider whether any mental disorder substantially diminished Cawley's responsibility after subtracting any element of intoxication. The jury returned unanimous verdicts on 25 July 2017, and the judge sentenced Cawley to life in jail.