Courts / Tipperary / Report

"My son had recently died": trial hears of Quirke's response to internet search questions

Date
2019-04-08

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Tipperary

Summary

The trial of Farmer Patrick Quirke, 50, of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, continued before Justice Eileen Creedon. Quirke, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder of Bobby Ryan, a part-time DJ known as Mr Moonlight, faced cross-examination regarding internet searches for "body decomposition timeline." Quirke told gardai his son had recently died, stating, "That's all I'm saying." However, prosecution evidence indicated a similar search occurred in July 2012, prior to his son's death in August 2012, which gardai argued undermined his explanation. Quirke denied that this prior search invalidated his account for later searches. The court heard that gardai sent a sub aqua unit to Ardmore, Co Waterford, after a water diviner claimed the body would be found there. Quirke was arrested in June 2014 and interviewed regarding a seized hard drive containing searches on DNA limitations and decomposition. He denied staging the discovery of Ryan's body, which was found in an underground tank on a farm leased by Quirke in April 2013. Quirke alleged gardai did not properly investigate previously dropped assault charges against him. The prosecution claimed Quirke murdered Ryan to rekindle an affair with Mary Lowry. Quirke maintained his innocence, questioning the logic of murdering a man and then revealing the body's location. The jury was adjourned until Thursday.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "My son had recently died": trial hears of Quirke's response to internet search questions. Charges or matters: the murder of Bobby Ryan, a part-time DJ known as Mr Moonlight. Procedural stage: trial

When:

August 2012 Other
June 3, 2011 Other
April 2013 Other
June 19, 2014 Incident
May 2013 Other
September 2012 Other
December 3, 2012 Other
August 4, 2012 Other
July 25, 2012 Other
2019-04-08 Publication

Why: Gardai then put it to him that he was searching over a prolonged period on a number of occasions for terms relating to decomposition because he knew where Bobby Ryan's body was and was trying to establish what condition it would be in. CNI source report