Courts / Cork / Report

Cold case trial may be oldest murder prosecution in history of State, judge tells jury

Date
2023-08-02

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Cork

County
Cork

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court hearing, Mr Justice Paul McDermott informed a jury that the 74‑year‑old Noel Long's trial could be the oldest murder prosecution in the State, noting the difficulty of proving an old case. The jury, after 35 minutes of deliberation, will return tomorrow. Long, who lives in Maulbawn, Passage West, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 54‑year‑old Nora Sheehan, who disappeared between 6 and 12 June 1981 and whose body was found at The Viewing Point, Shippool Woods. The prosecution's case rests on circumstantial evidence, including the victim's movements, the discovery of her body, and a DNA match between a sample from her body and a beanie hat taken from Long in 2021. Mr McDermott reminded jurors that no statute of limitations applies to murder, that over 280 exhibits were lost, and that the defence had concerns about a missing vaginal swab.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Cold case trial may be oldest murder prosecution in history of State, judge tells jury. Charges or matters: murdering 54-year-old Nora Sheehan between June 6 and June 12, 1981 at an unknown place within the State. Procedural stage: trial

When: