Courts / Cork / Report
Second appeal over murder of homeless man thrown down rubbish chute
Summary
David O'Loughlin, aged 33, has lodged a second appeal against his conviction for the murder of Liam Manley, 59, a homeless man who died after being thrown into a 40‑ft rubbish chute at Garden City Apartments in Cork. The appeal was filed on Wednesday, with counsel Michael O'Higgins arguing that O'Loughlin intended a "soft landing" in a bin cushioned by rubbish bags, but the chute was blocked and became a death trap. O'Higgins contended the bags broke the chain of causation and that the act was not designed to inflict injury, though it contained humiliation. He also claimed the trial judge erred by not properly charging the jury on the reliability of witness David O'Mahony and by allowing O'Loughlin's post‑incident statements to Gardaí as evidence. The DPP's counsel, Patrick McGrath, countered that O'Loughlin was fully aware of the chute's danger and that no third‑party act could absolve him.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Second appeal over murder of homeless man thrown down rubbish chute. Charges or matters: Mr Manley's murder at the same address on May 12, 2013 at a retrial at the Central Criminal Court in Cork in January 2019. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- May 12, 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2020-09-30 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: Mr Manley's murder at the same address on May 12, 2013 at a retrial at the Central Criminal Court in Cork in January 2019 (Proven)
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; On that occasion, the court quashed the mandatory life sentence handed down to O'Loughlin on the basis that the jury should have been discharged after it had been given permission to visit the chute, where one juror had thrown a stone down it.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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