Courts / Dublin / Report

Jury fail to reach verdict in trial of man accused of murdering former rugby captain Cathal Sweeney

Date
2015-10-16

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

A 32‑year‑old man, Gary Walsh, was tried for the murder of former Dublin rugby captain Cathal Sweeney, aged 62, who died on 8 February 2014 at a flat in Terenure. The jury, after five hours and 27 minutes of deliberation, could not agree on a verdict, with at least ten jurors dissenting. Judge Patrick McCarthy accepted the lack of consensus, thanked the eight men and four women, and excused them from service for ten years. The case will be retried by a new jury on 24 April 2017, with Walsh remanded in custody on the same terms. The prosecution presented evidence of intoxication, a fight, and blunt‑force trauma as the cause of death, while the defence had pleaded not guilty and later a plea of manslaughter that was not accepted by the State. The trial highlighted the presence of two other men in the flat, including witness Colm Campbell.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jury fail to reach verdict in trial of man accused of murdering former rugby captain Cathal Sweeney. Charges or matters: the murder of Cathal Sweeney (62) 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
April 24, 2017 Adjournment
February 8, 2014 Incident
2015-10-16 Publication

Case subjects

Gary Walsh

Defendant

Charges: the murder of Cathal Sweeney (62) 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 (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Outcome: The accused was remanded in custody on the same terms.