Oliver Kierans pleads not guilty to murder in Cavan

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

Oliver Kierans, 57, of Drumbannon Bailieborough in Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia Kierans, 54. The murder charge concerns her death at the same address on 5 September 2013. The proceedings were reported on 21 February 2015.

He also pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun and possession of the same shotgun with intent to endanger life.

Giving evidence on 20 February 2015, Oliver Kierans Jr told Anthony Sammon, defending, that he had contacted his father from Australia on 2 September 2013. He said his father sounded upset and drunk, told him he loved him and said he did not want him to come home for his funeral.

In his closing speech, Michael O’Higgins, prosecuting, said the issue was whether the possibility of an accidental shooting could be excluded. He argued that lack of memory did not mean lack of awareness or responsibility. He said Oliver Kierans had not sought help and had gone to a public house with a concealed weapon, telling a barman there would be big news around the town the following day.

Anthony Sammon, defending, said people reacted differently to horrific trauma and argued that the prosecution had shown little appreciation of the people involved in the family tragedy. He said Patricia Kierans believed Oliver Kierans was having a relationship with someone else’s partner. He acknowledged that Oliver Kierans had killed his wife with his shotgun, but argued that the act and the guilty mind had to coincide for a criminal offence.

Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly was due to give her charge to the jury on Monday, according to the report.