Courts / Cork / Report

Murderer gets eight years for throwing another victim's body in River Bandon

Date
2021-07-27

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Bandon

County
Cork

Summary

In 2011, Jonathan Duke, 27, was strangled at Bridge House, Bandon, and his body was thrown into the River Bandon. A day earlier, John Forrester, 42, had been murdered in the same building. Gardaí believe Duke was killed because he knew of Forrester's murder. Catherine O'Connor, former girlfriend of Forrester, is serving life for both killings. Her boyfriend, Ciprian Grozavu, 47, denied both murders and was tried separately. He was found guilty of both murders, sentenced to life, but appealed the Duke conviction; the Court of Appeal quashed it and ordered a retrial. At the retrial, Grozavu was acquitted of murder but found guilty of two counts of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of another. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath sentenced him to eight years for assisting O'Connor in disposing of Duke's body in the river and a concurrent six‑year sentence for removing the body from the scene.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Murderer gets eight years for throwing another victim's body in River Bandon. Charges or matters: both murders and sentenced to life in prison. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Acquitted

When:

November 12, 2011 Other
November 13, 2011 Other
2021-07-27 Publication

Why: Gardaí believe he was killed because he had knowledge of the first murder. CNI source report

Case subjects

River Bandon

Defendant

Charges: both murders and sentenced to life in prison (Alleged Or Contested)

Finding: Acquitted

Outcome: Acquitted; The Romanian father-of-one was found guilty of both murders and sentenced to life in prison. Today at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Michael MacGrath sentenced Grozavu to eight years for assisting O'Connor in trying to dispose of the body of Mr Duke in the river and a concurrent sentence of six years for helping O'Connor remove the body from the scene.