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Cork man jailed for life for murdering mum-of-three and setting fire to her home moves to appeal conviction

Summary

Darren Murphy, 38, of Passage West, Cork, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 for the murder of Olivia Dunlea, a mother of three, at her Pembroke Crescent home on 17 February 2013. He admitted unlawfully killing her and setting her house on fire, claiming he did not want the children to find her. Murphy pleaded not guilty to the murder charge but guilty to the arson charge. The Central Criminal Court jury, after four hours of deliberation, found him guilty of murder and the judge imposed the mandatory life sentence. He has now filed an appeal on four grounds, including alleged misdirection by the trial judge regarding the defence of provocation. The Court of Appeal will reserve judgment and deliver a decision as soon as possible. The appeal concerns only the conviction, not the sentence. The case remains at the appeal stage.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Cork man jailed for life for murdering mum-of-three and setting fire to her home moves to appeal conviction. Charges or matters: murdering Olivia Dunlea at Pembroke Crescent in Passage West on February 17, 2013 but admitted unlawfully killing her; a second charge of arson; her murder by a Central Criminal Court jury following four hours of deliberations and was given the mandatory life sentence by Mr Justice Paul Carney on May 29 2014. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• February 17, 2013 Other
• May 29 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2015-10-16 Publication

Why: Murphy had also admitted setting fire to Ms Dunlea's home because, he claimed, he "didn't want the kids to find her" and pleaded guilty to a second charge of arson. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report