Courts / Mayo / Report

Man jailed for double murder of elderly brothers gets date for appeal

Date
2019-04-01

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Castlebar

County
Mayo

Summary

A man convicted of murdering two elderly brothers in Castlebar has been granted an appeal hearing date of 21 June. Alan Cawley, aged 31, of Ballina, Co Mayo, was sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2017 after a jury unanimously found him guilty of killing Thomas Blaine, aged 69, and John Blaine, aged 76, at New Antrim Street on 10 July 2013. Cawley had admitted the killings but denied murder, arguing diminished responsibility on grounds of mental health conditions. The Central Criminal Court rejected this defence. The Court of Appeal fixed the hearing date during a procedural mention. The coroner for Mayo has indicated the inquest into the deaths cannot proceed until the appeal concludes, a matter which has caused concern to the deceased's family. Legal submissions from both parties have now been filed ahead of the June hearing.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man jailed for double murder of elderly brothers gets date for appeal. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

10th July 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
July 25, 2017 Other
July 9th Other
October 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
June 21 Hearing Or Sentence
2019-04-01 Publication

Case subjects

Alan Cawley

Convicted Person

Outcome: However, he was unanimously found guilty by a jury after an hour and 42 minutes of deliberations and given the mandatory life sentence by Mr Justice Paul Coffey on July 25, 2017.