Ireland Crime

Reports the jury verdict rejecting the insanity defence and the mandatory life sentence imposed by Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, with details of the evidence and the prosecution's case.

Sentencing report on a 2022 killing; no matching case in the existing list. Adds the sentence, the rejected insanity defence, the time window of the killing, the cause of death, and the accused's 42 previous convictions.

Reports the life sentence in the Miriam Burns murder case. The article body is empty; only the headline is available, and it does not name the accused.

Reports the life sentence imposed on Billy Burns after the jury rejected his insanity defence, with the court's account of the evidence and the victim's family.

Reports the jury verdict convicting Burns of murder after rejecting the insanity defence, the trial evidence, and that sentencing is due later in the week. Earlier reporting on the 2022 death is not in the existing case list.

Jury at the Central Criminal Court convicted Billy Burns of murdering his mother after rejecting his not guilty by reason of insanity plea; sentencing was adjourned to the Friday following the verdict.

Reports the jury's unanimous guilty verdict after a trial in which the defence pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity; sentencing was adjourned to the following Friday, when victim impact statements were expected.

Adds the jury verdict details: unanimous conviction after a six-hour deliberation, the psychiatric evidence, the cause the jury accepted, and the adjournment to Friday for the mandatory life sentence.

Trial report on the jury's deliberations and the psychiatric evidence on the insanity plea. The article gives the prosecution's allegation that the fatal injuries were inflicted on 12 or 13 August 2022, and that Miriam Burns was found dead on 15 August 2022.

Trial report covering the prosecution's closing of its case, a statement from the victim's sister, and differing psychiatric opinions on the insanity special verdict. The accused accepts killing but denies murder.

Court report on the trial. Covers expert psychiatric evidence on the insanity plea: Dr Eugene Morgan for the defence and Dr Stephen Monks for the prosecution differ. The article refers to the accused as Mr Burns and names him as Billy Burns in a caption.

Reports the trial opening: family evidence of abuse, the accused's police interview in which he denied killing his mother, forensic evidence from fires and a rucksack, and the defence's insanity plea. The accused accepts he killed his mother, and psychiatrists for both sides agree he was in a manic episode.

Trial opening statements. The accused admits the acts that caused the death but says he was seriously psychiatrically ill; the trial continues.

Reports the opening of the jury trial at the Central Criminal Court: the not guilty by reason of insanity plea, the prosecution's account of the killing and the cause of death, the expected length of the trial, and the possible manslaughter verdict.

Covers the arraignment and jury empanelment at the Central Criminal Court in the murder trial. No existing case matches this one.

Reports the arraignment and the swearing in of the jury for the trial. The accused pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and the trial is expected to run into the following week.

Reports the arraignment, Burns's plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, and the empanelling of the jury, with the trial expected to last about a week.

Records the formal court appearance on 7 March 2023 where Burns was arrested, charged, cautioned, and remanded in custody. Confirms the DPP is directing prosecution on indictment before the Central Criminal Court. Defence solicitor noted Burns lives in a hostel in Tralee and is on disability allowance, and applied for free legal aid and a High Court bail application.

Reports the formal charging at Killarney District Court on 7 March 2023, the DPP's direction for trial on indictment at the Central Criminal Court, remand in custody to Cork Prison, and the granting of free legal aid and psychiatric treatment on remand.

Reports that the man in his 50s has been formally charged in connection with the death of Miriam Burns in Kerry.

Reports the re-arrest and charging of the man in his 50s on 7 March 2023 at Killarney Garda Station, with a court appearance scheduled at Killarney District Court. Includes tribute from Miriam Burns' daughter Sharon at the victim's funeral.

Reports the re-arrest and charging of the suspect on 7 March 2023, with a court appearance scheduled at Killarney District Court. Confirms Gardaí were treating the death as suspicious and notes a previous arrest in which the suspect was released without charge and a file was prepared for the DPP.

Reports that the suspect was released from prison and is now free, that gardai formally asked the DPP to charge him with murder (file sent, no decision yet), and that the post-mortem determined she was beaten to death with serious head and neck injuries.

Reports the re-arrest of the suspect (a man in his 50s) from Cork prison and his subsequent release without charge, with a file being sent to the DPP. Adds detail that Ms Burns had voiced welfare concerns in the weeks before her death, that a relative abroad raised the alarm, and that the post-mortem found serious head and neck injuries consistent with being beaten to death.

Details the February 2023 arrest of a 52-year-old man at Cork's Northside, his detention under Section 4 at Mayfield Garda station and release without charge, and the preparation of a file for the DPP. Also provides further background on the discovery of the body, the postmortem by Dr Margot Bolster, the time window for the killing, the absence of forced entry, and the memorial service at St Mary's Cathedral.

Reports a new arrest on 8 February 2023 of a man in his 50s who was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Cork city and released without charge the same evening; a file will be prepared for the DPP. Also notes a previous suspect was arrested and released without charge the prior year.

Reports the re-arrest of a man in his 50s in Cork city on 8 February 2023, detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. Confirms the victim as Miriam Burns, 75, found in the front room of her home in Arshanavooley, Killarney. Notes head and neck injuries with dried blood, no forced entry, and a murder investigation launched following postmortem. Mentions a previous arrest in which a man in his 50s was detained and released from Killarney Garda Station without charge, with a file prepared for the DPP.

Reports the re-arrest of a man in his 50s on 8 February 2023, detained at a Garda station in Cork city under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. Notes a previous suspect was arrested and released without charge. Includes tributes from local councillor Donal Grady.

Reports the re-arrest of a man in his 50s in Cork's northside on 8 February 2023, detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at Mayfield Garda station. Adds that Gardaí believe Ms Burns was assaulted in her home, her body lay undiscovered for several days, she is suspected to have known her killer, and there were no signs of a break-in. Also notes a memorial service was held at St Mary's Cathedral in Killarney.

Reports the re-arrest of a man in his 50s in connection with the death of Miriam Burns, consistent with the re-arrest of Billy Burns from Cork prison in February 2023 noted in the existing case record.