High Court rejects Raymond Donovan’s challenge to life sentence

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

The High Court has rejected Raymond Donovan’s claim that his life sentence for murdering Ann Walsh was changed to a 20-year term after his appeal. Mr Justice Garrett Simons said Donovan had no basis to challenge the legality of his detention and refused his application for an inquiry into it.

Donovan was convicted unanimously in 2006 and received the mandatory life sentence. The Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed his appeal against conviction in 2009. The High Court judge said that court had rejected the appeal in its entirety and that the Central Criminal Court could impose no sentence other than life imprisonment for murder.