Séamus Morgan loses appeal against Laurence Keane murder conviction

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

Séamus Morgan lost his appeal against his murder conviction at the Court of Appeal, in a judgment delivered on 4 June 2021. The conviction concerned the killing of Laurence “Bomber” Keane in a laneway in Athy, Co Kildare.

The court found no basis to conclude that the trial was unfair or the verdict unsafe. It agreed with the trial judge’s approach to the proposed evidence about Keane’s previous convictions, given Morgan’s own relevant convictions.

The court said the jury directions on witness identification were adequate. It acknowledged that the warning about conflicting evidence on street lighting was not strong, but noted that the defence challenge focused largely on the witnesses’ honesty rather than mistaken identity.

The panel also disclosed that two judges recalled prior involvement in Morgan’s earlier murder case. Both parties agreed that the same panel could proceed with the appeal decision.