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Murderer loses appeal brought on 'audacious' point

Summary

Warren Nolan, 18 when he shot Alan O'Neill, 35, in Tallaght on 27 May 2015, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He appealed to the Court of Appeal on the basis that the case against him was circumstantial, citing the absence of a test on a hoodie that had been lost during the investigation. The trial had found gunshot residue on his gloves and accelerant on his t‑shirt, but the hoodie was never examined. Nolan denied both the shooting and the arson. The Court of Appeal, led by Justice George Birmingham, rejected the appeal, stating that the missing hoodie did not materially affect the fairness of the trial and that the evidence presented was sufficient to uphold the conviction. The appeal was dismissed, leaving Nolan's life sentence intact.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Murderer loses appeal brought on 'audacious' point. Charges or matters: murder; arson. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

• May 27, 2015 Incident
• 2020-11-02 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report