Courts / Sligo / Report
McGinley fails in second bid to overturn conviction for murder of Eugene Gillespie
Summary
Simon McGinley has failed in his second attempt to overturn his murder conviction at the Court of Appeal. McGinley, aged 38, was convicted in April 2014 of murdering Eugene Gillespie, a retired telecoms broker, at a house on Old Market Street in Sligo on 19 September 2012. Mr Gillespie, aged 67, died in hospital following a cardiac arrest after being assaulted and tied up in his home. McGinley had originally pleaded not guilty to murder and admitted manslaughter instead, but this plea was rejected by the State. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. At the appeal hearing, McGinley's legal team argued he was displaying symptoms of schizophrenia at the time of the attack and that this constituted a miscarriage of justice. Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh dismissed the appeal, finding that neither insanity nor diminished responsibility had been raised at trial and that retrospective psychiatric assessment fell short of the required threshold.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: McGinley fails in second bid to overturn conviction for murder of Eugene Gillespie. Charges or matters: the murder of Eugene Gillespie (67) at a house in Old Market Street, Sligo, on September 19, 2012, and had admitted manslaughter instead. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- September 19, 2012 Incident
- April 2014 Other
- 2022-10-14 Publication
Why: A murderer has failed in a bid to have his conviction quashed because of new evidence that he had an undisclosed mental condition when he attacked a retired man in his home. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: the murder of Eugene Gillespie (67) at a house in Old Market Street, Sligo, on September 19, 2012, and had admitted manslaughter instead (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: McGinley was sentenced to life imprisonment and later lost appeals against his sentence and conviction.
Places mentioned
- Old Market Street
- Sligo
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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