Danny Keena pleads guilty to manslaughter in murder trial

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

Danny Keena pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder. He was charged with murdering 41-year-old Brigid Maguire at Main Street, Ballynacargy, Co Westmeath, on 14 November 2015.

The proceedings were reported on 3 October 2017. That day, his daughter Jade Maguire was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court.

Jade Maguire told the court that Keena had threatened her mother with a hammer and poker before her death. She also described finding her mother dead at their home. Defence counsel Colm Smyth SC told her that Keena disputed ever threatening her, her mother or brother with a hammer or poker.

The trial was continuing before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury. Prosecuting counsel Remy Farrell SC said the cause of death was strangulation and asked the jury to consider whether Keena intended to kill.