Martin Kelly’s murder conviction appeal dismissed

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

Martin Kelly’s appeal against his murder conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on 21 December 2016. The conviction concerned the killing of Andrew Burns at Doneyloop, Castlefin, Co Donegal, on 12 February 2008.

The court rejected challenges to the lawfulness of Kelly’s arrest and detention, the admissibility and voluntariness of admissions, and the difference between the shooting contemplated and the fatal shooting that occurred. It upheld the conviction, finding that the trial court’s factual conclusions were supported by credible evidence and that the departure between the planned and actual acts did not absolve Kelly of responsibility for murder.