Courts / Donegal / Report

Stephen Cahoon found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend for second time

Date
2015-12-03

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Donegal Town

County
Donegal

Summary

A jury at the Central Criminal Court unanimously found Stephen Cahoon guilty of murder on 3 December following his third trial over six years. Cahoon, aged 43, from Derry, was convicted of strangling his pregnant ex-girlfriend Jean Teresa Quigley at Cornshell Fields in Derry on 26 July 2008. Ms Quigley, aged 30 and ten weeks pregnant with Cahoon's child, was discovered dead at her home by her mother. Cahoon had admitted killing Ms Quigley but denied murder, claiming loss of self-control. The prosecution presented evidence of forced entry, defensive injuries, and bruising inconsistent with Cahoon's account. The jury deliberated for three hours and forty-three minutes before reaching their verdict. Justice Deirdre Murphy sentenced Cahoon to life imprisonment, backdated to his arrest on 5 August 2008. This conviction follows a previous guilty verdict in 2012, which was quashed on appeal due to judicial misdirection regarding provocation. Cahoon became the first person tried in the Republic under the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act 1976 for a murder committed in Northern Ireland.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Stephen Cahoon found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend for second time. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

July 26th, 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
August 5 2008 Incident
July 26, 2008 Incident
April 30 2012 Incident
July 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
July 28 Hearing Or Sentence
August 5 Hearing Or Sentence
July 29, 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
July 26 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
July 26 Hearing Or Sentence
1997 and 1998 Incident
2015-12-03 Publication

Case subjects

Jean Teresa Quigley

Defendant

Outcome: However in March of this year, the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction due to an error in the judge's instructions to the jury, ordered a retrial and remanded him in custody.

Stephen Cahoon

Convicted Person

Outcome: Ms Justice Murphy then sentenced Cahoon to life imprisonment and backdated it to the date of his arrest on August 5 2008.; However in March of this year, the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction due to an error in the judge's instructions to the jury, ordered a retrial and remanded him in custody.