Keith Connorton’s murder appeal dismissed by Supreme Court

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

The Supreme Court dismissed Keith Connorton’s appeal against his murder conviction, reported on 28 July 2023. A Central Criminal Court jury had convicted him in 2019 of murdering Graham McKeever at Deerpark Avenue, Tallaght, on 18 February 2017; Connorton was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Supreme Court unanimously rejected the appeal, which challenged the trial judge’s admission of a recording of a 999 call made by Connorton’s former partner, Claire McGrath, after the stabbing. The court held that the call was admissible under the res gestae exception to the hearsay rule.

The source reports the Supreme Court decision as published on 28 July 2023, but does not give the hearing or decision date. Connorton had claimed at trial that he acted in self-defence; the appeal concerned the admissibility of the call.