Louise O’Connor denies impeding prosecution charge in murder trial

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

Louise O’Connor has pleaded not guilty to a charge of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Kieran Greene. The proceedings at the Central Criminal Court were reported on 4 February 2020.

The charge alleges that Louise O’Connor agreed to or acquiesced in her daughter Stephanie O’Connor disguising herself as Patricia O’Connor at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, on 29 May 2017 to conceal that Patricia was dead.

Greene has pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia O’Connor at her home on 29 May 2017. Stephanie O’Connor has pleaded not guilty to disguising herself as her grandmother after the alleged murder to conceal her death.

Keith Johnston has pleaded not guilty to assisting Greene in buying implements on 9 June 2017 for use in concealing Patricia O’Connor’s remains. Johnston also denies refurbishing a bathroom at Mountainview Park between 31 May and 9 June 2017 to destroy or conceal evidence relating to her alleged murder.

The prosecution case was that Stephanie O’Connor dressed as her grandmother to make it appear that she had left the house. Garda Alan Thompson told the jury that CCTV showed an unidentified woman leaving with a suitcase at 9.34pm on 29 May. The report said Louise O’Connor told gardaí she had left for the park to get peace from her mother; asked whether she had left to get “permanent peace”, she said no and explained that her mother was upset over the cat.

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