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Accused "a million miles away from intending to commit murder", defence tells jury

Summary

In the trial of 32‑year‑old Gary Walsh, charged with murdering former Dublin rugby club captain Cathal Sweeney, the defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC argued that Walsh was "a million miles away from intending to commit murder." Walsh pleaded not guilty to murder but had pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a plea the State rejected. The prosecution, led by Patrick McCarthy SC, maintained that Walsh's multiple punches and the resulting bruising and lacerations proved an intention to kill, citing the victim's frailty and the pathologist's findings. Grehan countered that Sweeney's health conditions, including blood clotting medication and past strokes, made him unusually vulnerable, and that the assault lacked a weapon or clear intent to kill. He urged the jury to consider the case as manslaughter rather than murder, noting the absence of a cold‑blooded motive and the victim's medical predispositions. The judge was set to charge the jury at 12 am.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Accused "a million miles away from intending to commit murder", defence tells jury. Charges or matters: the murder of Cathal Sweeney at a house in Terenure on February 8 2014; the manslaughter of Mr Sweeney at the Central Criminal Court last week but this plea was not accepted by the State. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• February 8 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2015-10-13 Publication

Why: The prosecutor then said there was a motive in this case and one has heard it from the accused in his statement to gardai when he said he wanted to get Mr Sweeney to admit he raped someone. Prosecution account reported by CNI

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report