Courts / Ireland / Report
Woman's guilty plea to manslaughter of boy (4) rejected, murder trial to proceed
Summary
In the Central Criminal Court, a 30‑year‑old woman charged with the murder of a four‑year‑old boy in the southwest had her plea of guilty to manslaughter rejected. The prosecution, represented by Aoife O'Leary BL, argued that the plea was not acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the case will proceed to trial on the murder charge next year. The defendant pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter on 16 March 2021, the day the boy died in hospital after sustaining injuries at an address. She also pleaded guilty to willfully assaulting the child on two separate occasions: one between 1 January and 5 March 2021, and another between 6 and 11 March 2021. She began to cry in the dock before being arraigned on the third count.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman's guilty plea to manslaughter of boy (4) rejected, murder trial to proceed. Charges or matters: the murder of a four-year-old boy in the south west of the country, has seen her plea of guilty to manslaughter rejected today at the Central Criminal Court; the murder of the boy, who sustained injuries at an address and died in hospital on March 16, 2021; murder but guilty to manslaughter of the child on March 16, 2021 when the first charge was put to her by the registrar at the Central Criminal Court; willfully assaulting the child, in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to his health or seriously to affect his well being, being a person having charge or care of the child, on a date unknown between January 1 2021 and March 5 2021, both dates inclusive; a second count of willfully assaulting the child on a date unknown between March 6, 2021 and M
When:
- March 16, 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 1 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 5 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 6, 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 11, 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 8, 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2023-05-25 Publication
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: the murder of a four-year-old boy in the south west of the country, has seen her plea of guilty to manslaughter rejected today at the Central Criminal Court; the murder of the boy, who sustained injuries at an address and died in hospital on March 16, 2021; murder but guilty to manslaughter of the child on March 16, 2021 when the first charge was put to her by the registrar at the Central Criminal Court; willfully assaulting the child, in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to his health or seriously to affect his well being, being a person having charge or care of the child, on a date unknown between January 1 2021 and March 5 2021, both dates inclusive; a second count of willfully assaulting the child on a date unknown between March 6, 2021 and March 11, 2021, both dates inclusive (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: The judge remanded the defendant in custody with consent to bail.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request