Courts / Louth / Report

Four years for man who cleaned up Mulready-Woods murder house

Date
2022-03-08

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Drogheda

County
Louth

Summary

A man has been sentenced to four years in prison at the Central Criminal Court for cleaning up and removing blood-stained evidence from his Drogheda home where teenager Kean Mulready Woods was murdered in January 2020. Gerard McKenna, aged 52, of Rathmullen Park in Drogheda, pleaded guilty to obstructing the apprehension or prosecution of persons guilty of the murder, contrary to the Criminal Law Act 1997. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a headline sentence of seven years before mitigation, reduced to five years and three months with the final fifteen months suspended. The sentence was backdated to May 2020. The judge acknowledged McKenna was not present during the killing but emphasised the seriousness of disposing of material evidence. Evidence revealed extensive blood-staining throughout the property despite attempts to clean and redecorate. The court heard McKenna had acted under threat from a dangerous criminal figure. The judge noted McKenna's guilty plea, remorse, and personal circumstances as mitigating factors.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Four years for man who cleaned up Mulready-Woods murder house. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

January 12 Incident
January 12, 2020 Incident
January 13 Incident
January 14 Incident
May 8, 2020 Incident
February 28 Hearing Or Sentence
January 13, 2020 Incident
13 January Incident
February 20 Incident
2022-03-08 Publication

Why: "If people are minded to cooperate and help more serious criminals because they feel intimidated or threatened to do so, they can thrive. CNI source report

Case subjects

Unnamed 52-year-old

Defendant

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: A father-of-eight, who cleaned up and removed blood-stained evidence from his Drogheda home where teenager Kean Mulready Woods was murdered, has been jailed for four years. McKenna was sentenced to five years and three months in prison with the final 15 months suspended for a period of three years.