Courts / Dublin / Report

Sunset House murder conviction upheld

Summary

Eamonn Cumberton, 32, was given a life sentence for the 2016 murder of Michael Barr, 35, at the Sunset House pub. Barr was shot seven times by two men in "Freddy Kruger" masks. The Special Criminal Court found Cumberton one of three culprits who dumped items linked to the killing into a getaway car, later found partially burnt on Walsh Road. DNA on a baseball cap and a rubber mask matched Cumberton, and circumstantial evidence included his unusual trip to Thailand and failure to answer Garda questions. Cumberton appealed on 28 grounds, but the Court of Appeal dismissed all, affirming the trial's safety and the court's findings. He remains jailed for life, with no part of the sentence suspended. The appeal was rejected on 19 May 2020.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Sunset House murder conviction upheld. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• April 25th, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 29, 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2020-05-19 Publication

Why: The court also relied on the circumstantial evidence of Cumberton's "highly unusual" trip to Thailand around the time of the killing, when he had gone to the airport with no luggage, but was prevented from boarding the flight because his passport was due to expire within three months. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report