Stephen Cahoon admits killing but denies murder charge

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

Stephen Cahoon has pleaded not guilty to murdering Jean Teresa Quigley. The charge concerns her death at Cornshell Fields in Derry on 26 July 2008. The proceedings were reported on 2 November 2015. The trial was being heard at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. His defence told the jury that he acknowledged killing Ms Quigley, but that this did not amount to an admission of murder. The trial was continuing.

The prosecution said Ms Quigley was pregnant with Cahoon’s child when she died. Patrick Marrinan SC, prosecuting, said post-mortem evidence would show that she had received two blows to the top of the head and had been strangled. The report said the jury would hear that Cahoon’s DNA profile matched DNA taken from urine found in the toilet at Ms Quigley’s house, and that blood on a T-shirt found in his flat was hers. Mr Marrinan said the central issue was Cahoon’s intention at the time of the killing.