John Dundon fails to overturn murder conviction

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

The Court of Appeal dismissed John Dundon’s appeal against his murder conviction on 5 December 2024, rejecting his claim that undisclosed phone evidence could have affected witness credibility.

Dundon was convicted in 2013 of ordering the killing of Shane Geoghegan, who was shot near his home in Dooradoyle, Limerick, in 2008. He is serving a life sentence.

The appeal concerned a recorded conversation between witnesses Lisa Collins and Christopher McCarthy, in which they discussed how long Dundon should be imprisoned. His counsel argued the material could have helped challenge the witnesses’ credibility; the Court of Appeal found no evidence that the defence team’s failure to pursue the issue was due to limited preparation time.

The court said the prosecution had no disclosure obligation for material that was not in its possession or procurement. It also concluded the trial court had treated the witnesses’ evidence cautiously and that corroborating evidence supported their accounts.