Courts / Dublin / Report
O'Connell St attack 'murder and nothing else', prosecution tell jury
Summary
In the trial of Damien Singleton, a 30‑year‑old man with no fixed abode, the prosecution presented a case that the killing of Peter Donnelly, a 39‑year‑old from Kilkenny who had been living rough in Dublin, was murder and nothing else. Singleton had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution argued that CCTV footage showed Singleton stabbing Donnelly three times with a knife and then striking him with a bottle before fleeing. They also claimed that Singleton had approached a young girl on O'Connell Street, engaged in a heated exchange with Donnelly, and that the incident occurred around 12.25 am on 11 June 2019. The prosecution's evidence included testimony from Garda Nicola Tornsey, who described the confrontation, the subsequent CPR by witnesses, and the recovery of a blood‑stained knife near the arrest site.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: O'Connell St attack 'murder and nothing else', prosecution tell jury. Charges or matters: murder but guilty to the manslaughter of his friend Peter Donnelly. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- June 11, 2019 Other
- June 11 Other
- 2021-09-21 Publication
Why: Mr Bowman said that his client had suffered a "diabolical" injury in the form of a scar that ran from the top of his head to his chin because of a "slashing" attack with a bladed weapon. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: murder but guilty to the manslaughter of his friend Peter Donnelly (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Places mentioned
- Dublin's O'Connell Street
- O'Connell Street
- Marlborough Street
- Kilkenny
- O'Connell Street
- O'Connell Street
- Dublin
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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