Courts / Dublin / Report

Deirdre Morley tried to poison children one day before suffocating them, jury hears

Date
2021-05-18

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court hearing, the jury heard that 44‑year‑old nurse Deirdre Morley attempted to poison her three children on 23 January 2021 and then suffocated them on 24 January 2021. She used thick brown tape and plastic bags to smother the children, two of whom were killed in a play tent. Morley's husband, Andrew McGinley, discovered the bodies: two upstairs in his bedroom and one downstairs in the play tent. Two notes left by Morley warned anyone entering the house not to go into the front room or upstairs and to call 911. Prosecutors said Morley was suffering from a mental disorder and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murders of her sons Conor (9), Darragh (7) and daughter Carla (3). The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Coffey and a jury.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Deirdre Morley tried to poison children one day before suffocating them, jury hears. Procedural stage: trial

When:

January 24 Incident
July 2019 Other
January 2020 Other
January 23 Hearing Or Sentence
April 2018 Other
December 2019 Other
January 22 Other
January 27 Other
January 28 Other
2021-05-18 Publication

Why: She added: "I didn't want to do it but I felt I had to because I had started to do it and something was telling me I had to do it but I didn't want to do it but I had to do it. CNI source report