Courts / Laois / Report
Jury told to ignore desecration of Aoife Phelan's body
Summary
The jury has begun deliberating the trial of Robert Corbet, 25, of Capoley, who is charged with murdering 30‑year‑old Nanny Aoife Phelan in his garage. Corbet pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter between 25 October and 7 November, when Phelan's body was found in a barrel buried 10 feet below ground. He claimed they had met a few months earlier and that Phelan had told him she was pregnant with his child, a claim disproved by an autopsy. Corbet testified that he lost self‑control, strangled her, put her body in a barrel, buried it behind his house the next day, and then flew to New York. His barrister urged the jury to ignore the desecration of the body and focus on the moment of death, suggesting a verdict of manslaughter on the grounds of provocation.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jury told to ignore desecration of Aoife Phelan's body. Charges or matters: murdering the 30-year-old in his garage at Capoley. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- October 25th Hearing Or Sentence
- November 7th Hearing Or Sentence
- 2014-05-22 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: murdering the 30-year-old in his garage at Capoley (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
- The Central Criminal Court
Topics
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