Courts / Mayo / Report

Jury view bloodied, bent knife in trial of husband accused of murdering wife

Summary

A jury at the Central Criminal Court has viewed the bloodied knife and hatchet used in the killing of a woman at her home in Westport, County Mayo. James Kilroy, aged fifty-one, a park ranger, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murdering his wife Valerie French Kilroy at Kilbree Lower between June thirteenth and fourteenth, 2019. During the trial, gardaí gave evidence that a twenty-centimetre knife, bent at nearly ninety degrees, was discovered at the scene with the victim's blood upon it. Detective Garda Sergeant Michael Doherty of Castlebar Garda Station outlined how the accused demonstrated to gardaí how the killing occurred and sketched the weapon. The defence has accepted that the accused killed his wife. A pathology report established that Mrs French Kilroy died from ligature strangulation, blunt force trauma to the head, and a stab wound to the neck. The trial, before Mr Justice Tony Hunt, continues.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jury view bloodied, bent knife in trial of husband accused of murdering wife. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• June 13, 2019 Other
• June 14, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• June 14 Other
• June 13 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2024-07-11 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

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Read the original CNI report