Courts / Kildare / Report

11 years for baseball bat killer after three murder trials

Summary

Zoltan Almasi, a 49‑year‑old Serbian truck driver, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the manslaughter of 20‑year‑old Joseph "Joe Joe" Dunne, who died after Almasi struck him on the head with a baseball bat. The Central Criminal Court found that Almasi had intended to cause serious injury, delivering a savage blow that caused near‑instantaneous death. Almasi had previously been convicted of murder in 2014, appealed to the Court of Appeal, and had that conviction quashed by the Supreme Court, leading to a retrial. The final trial ended with a jury disagreement on the murder charge, so the court imposed a manslaughter sentence. Almasi pleaded guilty to manslaughter, and the judge noted mitigating factors such as his lack of prior convictions and his cooperation in prison. The sentence was back‑dated to his 2014 arrest.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 11 years for baseball bat killer after three murder trials. Charges or matters: murdering Mr Dunne on May 16, 2014 following a trial. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

• May 16, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2021-09-08 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report