Keith Wilson's murder conviction appeal dismissed

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

Keith Wilson’s appeal against his murder conviction was dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal on 27 November 2014, in a judgment delivered by Mr Justice William McKechnie.

Wilson had been convicted by a unanimous jury verdict on 7 November 2011 of murdering Daniel Gaynor and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. He received a mandatory life sentence for murder and eight years for the firearm offence, with the terms running concurrently.

His appeal challenged the arrest, the admission of DNA evidence from cigarette butts, the refusal to withdraw the case from the jury, and the handling of expert evidence concerning possible DNA matches involving his brothers. The court upheld the trial judge’s decisions and refused leave to appeal.