Courts / Tipperary / Report

'Mr Moonlight' murder conviction stands

Date
2021-11-16

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Tipperary

Summary

Patrick Quirke, aged 52, lost his appeal against a 2019 conviction for the murder of DJ Bobby "Mr Moonlight" Ryan, aged 52, whose decomposed body was found in a disused slurry tank on a farm leased by Quirke. The Court of Appeal rejected more than 50 grounds of appeal presented by Quirke's lawyers. Judge George Birmingham, delivering the judgment, said he was not persuaded by any of the arguments and expressed unease about the trial's extensive legal argument. He noted the trial was the longest in Irish history, lasting 71 days, and described the number of voir dire as extraordinary. Quirke was not present at the hearing but watched via video link. The court upheld the jury's guilty verdict and the life sentence imposed in 2019. The appeal court also dismissed the defence's claim that the trial judge should have declared the trial unfair. The judgment reaffirmed that the evidence, though circumstantial, was sufficient for conviction.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Mr Moonlight' murder conviction stands. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

June 3, 2011 Other
30 April Other
January 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
December 3, 2012 Other
September 2007 Hearing Or Sentence
August 2010 Other
June 2, 2011 Other
April 30, 2013 Other
April 30 Other
August 2012 Other
December 2012 Other
September 2012 Other
September 2011 Other
January 2012 Other
May 2013 Other
2021-11-16 Publication

Why: Ms Lowry had previously had an affair with Quirke and the prosecution said that Quirke murdered Bobby Ryan so he could rekindle their affair and because he was financially dependent on Ms Lowry. Prosecution account reported by CNI