Courts / Kildare / Report
Double killer claims gardai 'fabricated' murder case against him
Summary
A double killer serving a life sentence for the 'gruesome' murder of Philip Finnegan has argued that his conviction should be quashed, as he was denied an adjournment to get a new legal team after discharging his original barristers for refusing to call certain witnesses. Stephen Penrose (43) told the Court of Appeal that the gardaí fabricated the case to make it fit him. He submitted a number of grounds of appeal, including allegations of perjury against a garda witness and bias from the trial judge. Barristers for the State said that Penrose was the 'author of his own misfortune' after he twice dismissed his legal team to represent himself at trial. Penrose was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict in November 2021 of murdering Mr Finnegan at Rahin Woods, Rahin, Edenderry, Co Kildare on August 10, 2016. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Double killer claims gardai 'fabricated' murder case against him. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- November 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- August 10, 2016 Incident
- December 2021 Other
- May 17, 2009 Adjournment
- 2026-04-20 Publication
Why: It is not the law that because you dismiss your team, you automatically get an adjournment," said Mr Grehan. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Penrose was given the mandatory life sentence by Mr Justice Alexander Owens in December 2021.; He further submitted that the trial should have been adjourned following "heated exchanges" between the judge and Penrose in the presence of the jury.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Supreme Court
Topics
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