Courts / Cork / Report

Chef who dismembered victim criticises judge's charge at murder trial

Summary

Ionut Cosmin Nicolescu, a chef convicted of the murder of Frankie Dunne, has appealed his conviction to the Court of Appeal. Nicolescu, who pleaded not guilty to the murder of Dunne at Castle Greine House, Cork, between December 27th and 28th, 2019, was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to life in prison in April 2023. His legal team argues that the trial judge's Section 10 corroboration warning regarding an uncorroborated confession was improper, describing it as a "bullet-point presentation of the prosecution case" rather than a neutral instruction. The prosecution case alleged that Nicolescu violently killed Dunne and subsequently dismembered him, hiding the remains in the property's grounds. While Nicolescu initially accepted the verdict, he later exercised his right to appeal. The defence contended the judge exceeded the narrow scope of the warning by reciting the prosecution's best points. In response, the Director of Public Prosecutions argued the case did not rely solely on the confession and that the judge's instruction was necessary given the confession's retraction. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice John Edwards, reserved judgment on the appeal.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Chef who dismembered victim criticises judge's charge at murder trial. Charges or matters: the murder of Frankie Dunne, on a date unknown between December 27th and December 28th, 2019, at Castle Greine House, Boreenmanna Road, Cork. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

• December 27th Hearing Or Sentence
• December 28th, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• April 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 27, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• November 2021 Incident
• 2026-01-27 Publication

Why: She did not take it seriously because "the entire time he was laughing and it looked like a joke" to her. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report