Courts / Dublin / Report

Regina Keogh has Hutch murder conviction appeal dismissed

Date
2021-07-15

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

The Court of Appeal has dismissed Regina Keogh's appeal against her conviction for the murder of Gareth Hutch. The 42-year-old, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2018 by the Special Criminal Court, was found guilty of colluding with her brother, Jonathan Keogh, to cause serious injury to Mr Hutch. Jonathan Keogh, 34, was also jailed for life for the 'deliberate and callous murder' committed on May 24, 2016. A third man, Thomas Fox, 32, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison alongside the Keoghs. All three defendants had denied the crime. Keogh's counsel argued that the trial court erred in law by treating Jonathan Keogh's DNA on latex gloves as corroboration of prosecution witness Mary McDonnell's evidence, despite an innocent explanation for the DNA. The State contended this was not a fundamental error. Presiding Justice George Birmingham, with Justices Patrick McCarthy and Isobel Kennedy, rejected all grounds of appeal. The court found that the evidence regarding the gloves, in context with other relevant evidence, was capable of constituting corroboration. Justice McCarthy stated that the trial court was entitled to proceed on McDonnell's evidence and that the conclusions of fact were not perverse. The appeal was dismissed, leaving the original convictions and sentences intact.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Regina Keogh has Hutch murder conviction appeal dismissed. Charges or matters: murdering Mr Hutch by colluding with her gunman brother. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

May 24, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
2021-07-15 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

Jonathan Keogh

Convicted Person

Regina Keogh

Appellant

Charges: murdering Mr Hutch by colluding with her gunman brother (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: The 42-year-old was sentenced to life in prison in 2018 by the Special Criminal Court, who found that she had colluded with Jonathon Keogh to cause serious injury to Mr Hutch. Jonathan Keogh (34) was also jailed for life by the non-jury court, having been found guilty of the 'deliberate and callous murder' on the morning of May 24, 2016.

Thomas Fox

Convicted Person

Finding: Convicted

Outcome: Convicted; Thomas Fox (32) of Rutland Court was convicted and sentenced to life in prison alongside the Keoghs.