Karen Harrington loses appeal against Santina Cawley murder conviction

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

Karen Harrington’s murder conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal on 6 June 2024, leaving her serving a life sentence for the killing of two-year-old Santina Cawley.

The appeal challenged the use of CCTV footage in the investigation, arguing that it breached Harrington’s privacy. The court rejected that argument, finding the footage relevant and admissible; it said the recordings showed movement to and from a communal walkway at her Cork apartment.