Courts / Dublin / Report

'Total horror': court hears of Nadine Lott murder scene as Murtagh gets life

Date
2021-10-04

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 4 October 2021, Claire Lott gave a victim‑impact statement describing the brutal murder of her daughter, Nadine Lott, by Daniel Murtagh. Lott recounted finding Nadine lying on her back in the kitchen of her apartment, gasping for air and covered in blood, and described the scene as "total horror" with broken glass and smashed mirrors. She spoke of the prolonged, savage attack that left Nadine "completely unrecognisable" and of the emotional toll on her family. The court had earlier convicted Murtagh of murder; he was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment, a sentence back‑dated to 16 December 2019. The hearing focused on the impact of the crime on Lott's family and the brutality of the assault, without discussing any subsequent legal developments.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Total horror': court hears of Nadine Lott murder scene as Murtagh gets life. Charges or matters: murder but guilty to manslaughter. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

December 13, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
December 17 Other
August 5 Incident
December 17, 2019 Incident
December 16 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
October 6 Hearing Or Sentence
February 2019 Other
December 13 2019 Other
December 14 2019 Other
December 14 Incident
Christmas Day Other
2021-10-04 Publication

Why: The convicted murderer told a motorist who stopped to help him that he had "killed my wife because she was with my friend". CNI source report

Case subjects

Claire Lott

Applicant

Outcome: During today's sentence hearing, Mrs Lott elaborated on the "total horror" of that night on December 13, 2019 saying: "The total carnage that we entered, can and never will be forgotten.

Daniel Murtagh

Background Person

Charges: murder but guilty to manslaughter (Proven)

Plea: Not guilty

Finding: Convicted

Outcome: Convicted; When we got to the kitchen the screams of my son and my younger daughter, I will always carry with me." She continued: "Nadine, my daughter, my baby was beyond recognition, she was gasping, blood pouring from her in so many places that all I could do was lie on the floor with her holding her hand trying to give comfort, comfort that I was there." The testimony was heard as part of an emotional victim impact statement read today to the Central Criminal Court, where 34-year-old Daniel Murtagh was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murdering his former partner Nadine Lott. The judge then sentenced Murtagh to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murder.