Courts / Offaly / Report

64-year-old man beaten to death with baseball bat, jury to hear

Summary

In a murder trial in the Central Criminal Court, the jury heard that Thomas 'Toddy' Dooley, a 64‑year‑old Offaly resident, was found dead in his living room on 16 February 2014, four days after he was allegedly beaten to death with a baseball bat. The prosecution presented evidence that three men – Matthew Cummins (22), Sean Davy (21) and James Davy (25) – were present at a party in April Murray's house on the early hours of 12 February 2014, then travelled to Dooley's home. The men were said to have used a wooden baseball bat to inflict blunt‑trauma injuries to Dooley's head and chest, leading to his death. The prosecution also alleged attempts to set fire to Dooley's armchair and clothing, and that the men removed items from the scene, some of which were later recovered by the gardai. The accused pleaded not guilty. The trial was scheduled to continue the following day.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 64-year-old man beaten to death with baseball bat, jury to hear. Charges or matters: the charge this morning; murdering Thomas Dooley. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• February 16 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 12, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 11, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 11 Incident
• Sunday February 16 Other
• 2016-07-11 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report