Courts / Dublin / Report
Melanie McCarthy McNamara murderer threatened to slit prison officer's throat
Summary
Daniel McDonnell, 28, serving a mandatory life sentence for the 2012 murder of 16‑year‑old Melanie McCarthy McNamara, pleaded guilty on 12 August 2021 to threatening a prison officer at Wheatfield Prison with a sharpened piece of metal. He said he would slit the officer's throat or get someone else to do it. The officer, who was conducting routine checks, reported the threat and was shocked and concerned. McDonnell had previously been arrested in January 2022 for sharpening a shiv and had a history of 36 convictions, including two threats to kill in 2020. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, hearing the case on 8 June 2023, set a headline sentence of three years, reduced to two years and back‑dated to 2 May 2023. The court noted McDonnell's good family support and his receipt of psychological help while in custody. The life sentence for the murder remains unchanged.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Melanie McCarthy McNamara murderer threatened to slit prison officer's throat. Charges or matters: threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a prison officer at Wheatfield Prison, Cloverhill Road, Clondalkin, on August 12, 2021. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- August 12, 2021 Other
- February 8, 2012 Other
- May 2 Incident
- 2023-06-08 Publication
Why: McDonnell will not face an extension of his jail term, as the courts have previously ruled that a life sentence cannot be extended for new offending while in prison because technically, a life sentence never ends. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a prison officer at Wheatfield Prison, Cloverhill Road, Clondalkin, on August 12, 2021 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: McDonnell is currently serving a mandatory life sentence for the murder of 16-year-old Melanie McCarthy McNamara 11 years ago. McDonnell will not face an extension of his jail term, as the courts have previously ruled that a life sentence cannot be extended for new offending while in prison because technically, a life sentence never ends.
Places mentioned
- Wheatfield Prison
- The prison
- Cloverhill Road
- Brookview Way
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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