Courts / Waterford / Report
Waterford man appeals conviction for beating grandfather to death
Summary
Patrick Keating, 51, who was jailed for life for the murder of Joe O'Brien in Waterford in 2013, has lodged an appeal against his conviction. Keating, who lived at Moyne House, Grattan Quay, Waterford, had pleaded not guilty to the 2012 murder at an apartment on William Street. The Central Criminal Court found him guilty and imposed a mandatory life sentence. In his appeal, Keating's counsel, Seán Guerin SC, argues that the trial judge effectively reversed the burden of proof by dismissing the prosecution's witness, Mr Anthony Marshall, whose testimony described Keating stomping and striking O'Brien's head with a dumbbell. Guerin contends that the judge's instructions undermined the defence's challenge to Marshall's evidence, which was not supported by medical findings. The Director of Public Prosecutions, John O'Kelly SC, maintains that the pathologist's evidence of severe head injuries and the absence of a skull fracture do not invalidate Marshall's testimony. The court will reserve judgment.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Waterford man appeals conviction for beating grandfather to death. Charges or matters: murder. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- April 23, 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 18, 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2016-04-15 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: murder (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: A jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Waterford found Keating guilty of murder and he was given the mandatory life sentence by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy on October 18, 2013.
Places mentioned
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