Courts / Dublin / Report

Court asked to uphold Hutch murder conviction even it accepts mistake was made

Summary

The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment in an appeal against the murder conviction of Regina Keogh, with the matter adjourned. Keogh, 42, was convicted by the Special Criminal Court in 2018 of murdering Gareth Hutch and sentenced to life in prison. Her brother, Jonathan Keogh, 34, and Thomas Fox, 32, were also convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the same offense. All three defendants had denied the charges. During the appeal, defense counsel Patrick Gageby SC argued that the trial court made a significant error of law by finding that Jonathan Keogh's DNA on latex gloves corroborated the prosecution witness Mary McDonnell's evidence, despite an innocent explanation for the DNA presence. The DPP, represented by Fiona Murphy SC, responded that even if the court accepted an error occurred, it did not constitute a substantial miscarriage of justice. Consequently, the DPP requested the court to invoke the proviso to dismiss the appeal. The defense rejected this, characterizing the alleged error as a fundamental irregularity central to the case. The bench, presided over by Justice George Birmingham with Justices Patrick McCarthy and Isobel Kennedy, has reserved its decision.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Court asked to uphold Hutch murder conviction even it accepts mistake was made. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

• May 24, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2020-12-15 Publication

Why: Ms Murphy said that there was no mistake by the Special Criminal Court and, if there was, it did not undermine the verdict because of all of the other evidence in the case. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report