Benko’s attempted murder appeal dismissed

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

Benko’s appeal against his attempted murder conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, as reported on 14 May 2021. The judgment concerned an attack on his sleeping wife at their family home, in which he struck her head with a lump hammer, causing life-changing injuries. The appeal argued that the trial judge had wrongly directed the jury about inferring an intention to kill from the natural and probable consequences of an act. The court held that the common-law presumption could apply in attempted-murder cases and that the jury direction was sufficiently clear. His conviction therefore remained in place.