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Court upholds conviction of Derry man who murdered pregnant mother-of-four

Summary

Stephen Cahoon, aged 44, was found guilty of murdering his ex‑girlfriend Jean Teresa Quigley, aged 30, who was ten weeks pregnant with his child. The murder took place on 26 July 2008 at Cornshell Fields, Derry. Cahoon admitted strangling Quigley but denied it was murder, claiming it occurred after consensual sex and that she was still alive when he left her home. He did not call an ambulance. The jury at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin unanimously convicted him and he received a mandatory life sentence in December 2015. The appeal focused on the admissibility of witness statements under Section 16 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. Judge Alan Mahon upheld the conviction, finding the trial judge's decision to admit the statements correct and the jury instructions fair. Cahoon was not present at the hearing.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Court upholds conviction of Derry man who murdered pregnant mother-of-four. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• July 26th, 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• July 2008 Other
• July 26, 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2017-11-28 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report