Darren Murphy’s manslaughter plea not accepted in murder trial

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

Darren Murphy pleaded not guilty to the murder of Olivia Dunlea at her home in Pembroke Crescent, Passage West, Co Cork. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but that plea was not accepted.

The proceedings at the Central Criminal Court were reported on 24 May 2017. The trial was continuing before Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of seven men and five women.

Detective Garda Seán Minihan told prosecuting counsel Thomas Creed SC that he interviewed Murphy at Togher Garda Station on 18 February 2013, the day after firefighters found Ms Dunlea’s body in her burning home.

Murphy told gardaí that he had stabbed Ms Dunlea and admitted he must have inflicted six wounds, although he could not remember them all. He said he had “just snapped” and did not mean to kill her.

Murphy denied setting the house on fire to destroy evidence. He told gardaí that he lit it to ensure Ms Dunlea’s children did not discover her body.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Michael Delaney SC, Sergeant Anthony Harrington denied refusing Murphy access to a solicitor for his fifth interview or telling him what to say. He said he had no explanation for why gardaí had not asked Murphy at the start whether he was happy to proceed, as normal protocol required, but denied that it was because he knew Murphy did not want to proceed.