Courts / Ireland / Report
Double killer fails in bid to overturn threat conviction after 'falsified records' allegation
Summary
Stephen Penrose, aged in his 40s, appealed against a two‑year prison sentence for threatening to damage a prison officer's home at Cloverhill. He argued that his right to a fair trial was breached because the State failed to provide contemporary prison logbooks and that the documents were falsified. The Court of Appeal found no evidence that the logs recorded any fire alarm or sprinkler activity and that the prison officers' testimony that no sprinkler went off was accurate. The judges noted that the State had eventually produced the journal entries on the day of sentencing, and that Penrose had been told the entries were in an archive but not indexed. The appeal was dismissed on all grounds, with the court stating that the material had no reasonable impact on the case. Penrose also claimed a failure to disclose CCTV and alleged witness falsehoods, but these were not accepted.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Double killer fails in bid to overturn threat conviction after 'falsified records' allegation. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- 4 March 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-10-20 Publication
Why: Penrose told the Court of Appeal today that his right to a fair trial was breached because the State had "failed to seek out and produce" contemporary prison logbooks ahead of his trial. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Outcome: Stephen Penrose, who is aged in his 40s, was sentenced to two years imprisonment for threatening to damage the property of the prison officer at Cloverhill prison on 4 March 2016, having been convicted by unanimous jury verdict.
Places mentioned
- Cloverhill prison
- Irish Prison
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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