Courts / Cork / Report

Quashing woman's murder conviction over wording of warrant would be 'absurd', appeal court finds

Summary

The Court of Appeal rejected Helen Jones's appeal to quash her murder conviction on the basis that the wording of a search warrant was improper. Jones, 57, was convicted in December 2021 of murdering her 52‑year‑old brother Paul Jones on 4 September 2019. The conviction followed a month‑long trial at the Central Criminal Court in Cork, where a jury found her guilty and she was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Michael MacGrath. The appeal argued that a search warrant issued on 10 September 2019 was unlawful because the detective Garda's oath did not use the exact wording required by law. The three‑judge panel, led by Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh, held that the oath was sufficient, that the warrant was lawful, and that the absence of a contemporaneous record did not affect the case.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Quashing woman's murder conviction over wording of warrant would be 'absurd', appeal court finds. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

• December 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
• September 4, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• September 10, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2024-06-06 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report