Courts / Dublin / Report
Convicted killer is jailed for life for Phoenix Park murder
Summary
Ciaran Moran, 29, was sentenced to life in prison by the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Gerard Donnelly. Moran, who had pleaded not guilty, changed his plea to guilty on the ninth day of his trial after the judge ruled that his descriptive confession should be heard by the jury. The court heard that Moran beat Mr Donnelly over the head with a lump hammer, amputated his toe, and set his body on fire in Phoenix Park during November 28th or 29th, 2013. Mr Donnelly, a 36-year-old father of one who lived homeless in the park, was identified via DNA match due to the severity of his injuries. Moran, who had 23 previous convictions including a recent manslaughter conviction resulting in a seven-year sentence with two suspended, was found to have acted alone. His barrister requested that his sentence be backdated to December 3rd, 2013, the date he was remanded in custody. Justice Margaret Heneghan agreed to this request and imposed the mandatory life sentence. Moran stood while the sentence was imposed before being led away to custody.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Convicted killer is jailed for life for Phoenix Park murder. Charges or matters: murdering Mr Donnelly at an unknown time during November 28th or 29th, 2013; the murder; manslaughter. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- November 28th Hearing Or Sentence
- November 29th Hearing Or Sentence
- December 3rd, 2013 Adjournment
- 2015-05-20 Publication
Why: He then told an acquaintance that he had killed Mr Donnelly because he (the deceased) had been accused of interfering with children. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: murdering Mr Donnelly at an unknown time during November 28th or 29th, 2013; the murder; manslaughter (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Cork Circuit Court had imposed a seven-year sentence with two suspended. Moran stood while she imposed the mandatory life sentence on him.; His barrister asked for his sentence to be backdated to the date he was remanded in custody, December 3rd, 2013.
Places mentioned
- Dublin park
- Phoenix Park
- Camden Street
- The Central Criminal Court
- Cork
- Cork Circuit Court
Topics
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