Kieran Greene pleads not guilty to murdering Patricia O’Connor

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

Kieran Greene pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia O’Connor at her home in Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin, on 29 May 2017. The proceedings were reported on 22 January 2020.

The Central Criminal Court heard that her body was dismembered into 15 parts, found at nine locations in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between 10 and 14 June 2017. The trial heard that Greene went to Rathfarnham Garda station on 12 June and told a detective he had done “something terrible” and scattered the body parts.

Former Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis said dismemberment was most probably carried out with a power tool, although irregularities raised the possibility that the hands were removed with a non-powered saw. He said the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Under cross-examination, he said one head wound could not be ruled out as having been caused by a fall onto a shower step.

Greene told gardaí that O’Connor attacked him first and that he defended himself; he said the incident was neither planned nor intentional. He said he thought she had slipped in the bathroom and hit her head. He said he panicked and did not call for help, and subsequently said he had let her die so his children would be safe. When formally charged, he replied: “It was self-defence”.

Louise O’Connor, Stephanie O’Connor and Keith Johnston were also charged with impeding Greene’s apprehension or prosecution. Louise O’Connor pleaded not guilty to agreeing to or acquiescing in Stephanie disguising herself as Patricia O’Connor on 29 May 2017 to conceal her death. Stephanie O’Connor pleaded not guilty to disguising herself as Patricia after the alleged murder for that purpose.

Johnston pleaded not guilty to assisting Greene in buying implements on 9 June 2017 to conceal the remains. He also denied refurbishing a bathroom between 31 May and 9 June 2017 to destroy or conceal evidence. Greene maintained that Johnston knew nothing about what had happened to Patricia O’Connor.

The trial was continuing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.