Courts / Dublin / Report
Man's conviction for murdering "best friend" is upheld
Summary
Graham McEvoy, a 20-year-old from Crumlin, has lost his appeal against his conviction for the murder of Paul Curran. McEvoy had admitted stabbing Curran at Seagull House on Crumlin Road in Dublin on July 16, 2016, but originally denied the charge of murder, claiming self-defence. He was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury in a majority 11-1 verdict and sentenced to a mandatory life term by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on December 18, 2017. McEvoy appealed on the ground that the trial judge erred in allowing a Garda to explain a witness's use of the phrase "got a stripe," arguing this invited speculation about motive. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy with Mr Justice George Birmingham and Mr Justice John Edwards, dismissed the appeal. The court held the evidence was admissible and that the clarification merely explained the term's context without suggesting a revenge motive. The judges found no indication that the trial was unsatisfactory or the conviction unsafe, thereby upholding the original finding of guilt and the mandatory life sentence.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man's conviction for murdering "best friend" is upheld. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- July 16, 2016 Other
- December 18, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2018-12-20 Publication
Why: He moved to appeal his conviction on the principal ground that the jury were invited to speculate on the issue of motive, in relation to something a witness had said in her evidence. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; He was accordingly given the mandatory life sentence by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on December 18, 2017.
Places mentioned
- Captain's Road
- Seagull House
- Crumlin Road
- Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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