Ciaran Moran pleads guilty to Phoenix Park murder

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

Ciaran Moran pleaded guilty to murdering Gerard Donnelly at the Central Criminal Court. The proceedings were reported on 15 May 2015.

Moran was charged with murdering Mr Donnelly at an unknown time on 28 or 29 November 2013. He had previously pleaded not guilty and gone on trial. Mr Donnelly’s body was found ablaze in Dublin’s Phoenix Park.

The defence applied to exclude evidence including Moran’s confession in a video-recorded Garda interview. Played in the jury’s absence, the video showed him describing striking Mr Donnelly with a lump hammer and cutting off his little toe. He said he then poured white spirits over him and set him on fire.

On 15 May 2015, Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan rejected the defence application and allowed the evidence to be called. After consulting his client, Patrick Gageby SC, defending, requested that Moran be rearraigned. Moran then entered his guilty plea.

The judge discharged the jury. Caroline Biggs SC, prosecuting, requested an adjournment to prepare victim impact evidence, and the judge adjourned the case until the following Wednesday. The report stated that the judge must impose the mandatory life sentence.