Courts / Derry / Report

Derry man appeals conviction for murdering pregnant ex-girlfriend

Summary

Stephen Cahoon, aged 44, was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex‑girlfriend Jean Teresa Quigley, aged 30, who was 10 weeks pregnant when strangled at Cornshell Fields in Derry on 26 July 2008. Cahoon denied the murder. He was first tried in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, where a hung jury failed to reach a verdict. In April 2012 he was again found guilty, but the conviction was overturned because the judge's instruction on provocation was incorrect. A retrial in December 2015 resulted in a unanimous conviction. Cahoon now appeals the conviction, arguing that a witness's Section 16 statement was admitted without proper consideration of a threat from police officers and that the statement's reliability was compromised. The appeal is pending, and the court has reserved judgment. The case is notable for being the first murder in Northern Ireland tried in the Republic under the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act 1976.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Derry man appeals conviction for murdering pregnant ex-girlfriend. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• July 26th, 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• April 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2017-10-03 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report