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"Compelling case" for joint trial of three who carried out "brutal, motiveless" murder
Summary
The Court of Appeal upheld a joint trial for Seán Davy (24), Matthew Cummins (24) and James Davy (27) who were convicted of murdering 64‑year‑old Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley in his Edenderry home on 12 February 2014. The men broke into the house and beat Dooley with a baseball bat, delivering eight blows to his head. Each defendant gave conflicting accounts: Cummins claimed Davy struck first and then continued the assault; Davy said James Davy delivered most blows and he struck once with less force; James Davy denied striking and said Davy beat him while Cummins kicked. All were found guilty by jury and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment by Justice Margaret Heneghan on 10 October 2016. Davy's appeal to separate his trial was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, which ruled the case was "compelling" for a joint trial and the judge's refusal to sever the indictment was proper.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Compelling case" for joint trial of three who carried out "brutal, motiveless" murder. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- February 12, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 10, 2016 Incident
- 2018-07-31 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Outcome: They were each found guilty by a jury and given the mandatory life sentence by Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan on October 10, 2016.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- The Central Criminal Court
Topics
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