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Tipperary man jailed for life for murdering his neighbour must await appeal fate

Summary

In a Limerick Central Criminal Court hearing, Richard Higgins, aged 45, was convicted of murdering Seán Murphy, aged 29, on 17 January 2010, and received a mandatory life sentence on 28 July 2011. The jury also found him guilty of two counts of threatening to kill Murphy and his partner. Higgins, who pleaded not guilty, has now lodged an appeal in the Court of Appeal. His counsel, Mr Michael Bowman SC, argues that the conviction is unsafe, citing a mis‑representation of Higgins' statement to a third party. Bowman contends that the transcript used by the prosecution was incorrect, as Higgins actually said, "what would kill me…", which changes the meaning. He also claims the threatening counts should not have been included on the indictment, noting no Garda investigation into those threats. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Seán Ryan, will render a judgment as soon as possible.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Tipperary man jailed for life for murdering his neighbour must await appeal fate. Charges or matters: the murder of Seán Murphy (29) on January 17, 2010. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• January 17, 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
• July 28 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2015-04-13 Publication

Why: That spoke to Higgins' alleged intention to do the job because he was looking for satisfaction, Mr Bowman said. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report