Courts / Westmeath / Report

Farmer guilty of murdering former partner two months after she left him

Summary

Danny Keena, a 55‑year‑old farmer from Empor, Ballynacargy, was found guilty of murder by a jury at the Central Criminal Court after he strangled his former partner, 43‑year‑old Brigid Maguire, on 14 November 2015. Maguire and their two children had left Keena in September 2015. Keena pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, claiming provocation after Maguire accused him of being a bad father. The court heard that Keena had previously strangled Maguire to the point of dizziness, but the jury did not hear the witness statement that described a prior strangulation that stopped her breathing. The jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder, 11 to 1, after 4 hours and 55 minutes of deliberation. Keena will receive a mandatory life sentence, with remand pending sentencing.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Farmer guilty of murdering former partner two months after she left him. Charges or matters: murder, but guilty to her manslaughter at her new home on Main Street, Ballynacargy. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• November 14, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2017-10-09 Publication

Why: He also explained that they had tried to leave him before. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report