Daniel Murtagh found guilty of murdering Nadine Lott

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Daniel Murtagh was found guilty of murdering his former partner Nadine Lott. The proceedings were reported on 5 August 2021.

Murtagh had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Ms Lott, 30, at her apartment in St Mary’s Court, Arklow, Co Wicklow, on 17 December 2019.

The report said Ms Lott never regained consciousness after an attack on 14 December 2019 and died three days later at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.

The jury unanimously rejected Murtagh’s defence that he was too intoxicated to have formed the intent to murder. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC had sought a manslaughter verdict on the grounds of lack of intent due to alcohol intoxication. Murtagh had told gardaí that before the assault he had smoked a joint, taken two pills and drunk a shoulder of rum; he also said he had been on methadone for the previous three months.

Neighbour Amela Kulenovic told the trial that she saw Murtagh on top of Ms Lott, inflicting considerable force on her. In interviews with gardaí, Murtagh said he had been intoxicated and could not remember anything; he also said he had no intention of ever hurting her.

After the verdict, Mr Justice Michael MacGrath remanded Murtagh in custody. The report said the mandatory life sentence was due to be handed down on 4 October 2021.