Courts / Kildare / Report

Convicted killer Penrose guilty of 'gruesome' murder

Date
2021-11-15

Stage
Sentence

County
Kildare

Summary

Stephen Penrose, aged 38, was found guilty by a jury of murdering his friend Philip Finnegan, aged 24, who was missing for three weeks before his decapitated remains were discovered in a shallow grave in Rahin Woods, Kildare. The jury rejected Penrose's defence that he had last seen Finnegan being stabbed by a group of men in a forest and that he had attempted to conceal the body's location. Evidence included a DNA match from a bloodied glove found near the remains, a forensic scientist's report linking Penrose's DNA to the glove, and testimony that Finnegan's body had suffered multiple stab wounds, including fatal ones to the liver and aorta. Penrose had previously been convicted of manslaughter in 2010. The trial, held at the Central Criminal Court, concluded with a unanimous verdict after five hours and 46 minutes of deliberation over two days.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Convicted killer Penrose guilty of 'gruesome' murder. Charges or matters: murdering Mr Finnegan (24) at Rahin Woods, Rahin, Edenderry, Co Kildare on August 10, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

September 2, 2016 Incident
August 10, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
December 13 Adjournment
August 10 Hearing Or Sentence
August 31, 2016 Incident
November 16, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
August 12 Other
September 6 Other
2021-11-15 Publication

Case subjects

Stephen Penrose

Background Person

Charges: murdering Mr Finnegan (24) at Rahin Woods, Rahin, Edenderry, Co Kildare on August 10, 2016 (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Outcome: He was sentenced to nine years in prison for that offence. When Mr Justice Owens asked prosecution counsel Mr Grehan what date would Penrose's sentence run from, the barrister said that was a matter for the court but outlined that the accused had been in custody since he was charged and was still serving a number of other sentences.; The judge will hand down the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment to Penrose on December 13 and remanded the accused in custody until that date.