Thomas O’Connor’s murder conviction quashed on appeal

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

Thomas O’Connor had his murder conviction quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal on 24 November 2014, with a retrial ordered. The court held that evidence capable of supporting self-defence, including an account that John O’Brien had initiated an attack, should have been left to the jury.

The court said the evidence was weak and marginal for a complete self-defence case, but sufficient for consideration by the jury, including as a partial defence reducing murder to manslaughter. O’Connor’s conviction was therefore set aside and the appeal was allowed.