Courts / Limerick / Report
Convicted child murderer can now be named
Summary
Following the enactment of the Children (Amendment) Act 2021, RTE successfully applied to lift a court order that had kept the identities of convicted child murderer Patrick Dillon (28) and his 11‑year‑old nephew, Brooklyn Colbert, anonymous. The new law removes the restriction on naming deceased children, except in exceptional circumstances, and allows media or relatives to request the court to lift such orders. Dillon, who had been named in the Central Criminal Court in January after a Court of Appeal ruling on Section 252 of the Children Act, admitted to striking Brooklyn with a hammer and stabbing him 27 times. The court described the murder as a "horrific breach of trust" and sentenced Dillon to life imprisonment. Brooklyn's mother, Sonia Aylmer, publicly demanded that the victim's name be released, arguing that her son's legacy should not be defined solely by his death.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Convicted child murderer can now be named. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- November 3, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2021-05-10 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Outcome: The sentence hearing was told that Dillon struck Brooklyn with a hammer and stabbed him 27 times in the torso, arms and neck. The judge described the murder as a "horrific breach of trust" and an "unspeakably violent crime" before sentencing Dillon to the mandatory term of life imprisonment.
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