Andrew Gibney appeals murder conviction after life sentence

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

Andrew Gibney was convicted of murdering Gerard Burnett and received the mandatory life sentence from Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on 28 January 2014. He had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, and a jury found him guilty by a 10-2 verdict.

The appeal hearing opened on 8 April 2016 before Mr Justice George Birmingham, Mr Justice Garrett Sheeehan and Mr Justice John Edwards, but was adjourned to a later date. The appeal had not been determined in the report.

Gibney’s counsel said he accepted moral and legal guilt for his part in events but argued that, while drunk, he intended to cause harm rather than serious harm or death. Counsel said others inflicted the fatal wounds after Gibney had left; the prosecution disputed that account, citing interview evidence that Gibney admitted forming an intention to stab and a witness statement saying he had spoken of killing Burnett.

Gibney was initially charged in Clover Hill District Court with assaulting Burnett and causing him serious harm. The proceedings were reported on 30 August 2012 and the appeal was reported on 8 April 2016.