Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 4659Murder

Doctors describe injuries of four-year-old boy at murder trial of stepmother

A four-year-old boy, reported in some sources as four and a half, died on 16 March 2021 after prosecutors say he was shaken by his stepmother, a woman in her 30s from the south west of the country who cannot be identified under a court order. On 13 March 2021 his father called emergency services saying the boy had fallen from his bunk bed, and the boy was taken by ambulance to hospital, where a consultant paediatrician treated him. The woman pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter, and her murder trial before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury at the Central Criminal Court opened with the prosecution's speech on 5 November 2025. As of 6 November 2025 the trial was continuing, medical evidence had been heard, and no verdict had been reported.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court4 Nov
    6 reports
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The boy was aged four, though one report says four and a half, when he died on 16 March 2021.
  • The accused is a woman, 32, from the south west of the country, who cannot be identified under a court order.
Cause
  • Prosecutors allege the boy died after being shaken by his stepmother, and she told gardaí she shook him before he fell to the floor.
  • Prosecutors say the brain injury was caused by shaking combined with contact with a flat surface, not a fall from a bunk bed, and a pathologist is expected to say the boy died of a traumatic head injury with blunt-force trauma to the stomach.
Where
The murder trial is being heard at the Central Criminal Court.
When
On 13 March 2021 the boy's father called emergency services saying the boy had fallen from his bunk bed, and the boy was taken by ambulance to hospital and first treated by a consultant paediatrician that day.
Other details
Consultant paediatrician Dr Stephen O'Riordan said the boy had 17 areas of bruising from head to toe consistent with physical abuse, and an intensive care doctor said his pupils indicated a severe traumatic brain injury.
Investigation
  • The father said the black eyes were the result of two falls in the previous two weeks, while prosecutors say the boy was kept out of sight of other family members for several days to hide bruising.
  • Prosecutors say the boy was kept in his room, grounded and made to sit on the floor in the days before his death.
  • On the morning emergency services were called, the accused searched Google for a question about banging one's head and going to sleep.
  • Gardaí examined mobile phones and CCTV footage from a neighbour's home.
Charges
  • When arraigned on a murder charge, the accused pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.
  • The accused has previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting the boy, in January 2021 and on 5 March 2021.
In court
  • Mr Justice Paul McDermott swore in a jury of eight men and four women on 4 November 2025, and the trial is expected to last up to five weeks.
  • Anne Rowland SC gave the opening speech for the Director of Public Prosecutions on 5 November 2025, and the trial was continuing on 6 November 2025 with no verdict reported.
58 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA woman pleaded guilty to killing a four-year-old boy but denies his murder. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA woman pleaded guilty to killing a four-year-old boy but denied his murder. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe boy was aged four and a half when he died. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe four-year-old boy died after being shaken by his stepmother. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA four-year-old boy was kept out of sight to hide bruising after a series of assaults before he died. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe four-year-old boy is alleged to have been murdered by his stepmother. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe murder trial is being heard at the Central Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe case is being heard at the Central Criminal Court. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe boy died on 16 March 2021 and was aged 4½ at the time. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe trial is expected to begin on Wednesday. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe boy died on 16 March 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe father called emergency services on 13 March 2021, saying the boy had fallen from his bunk bed. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe boy's father called emergency services on March 13, 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe boy was first treated by a doctor on 13 March 2021 after being transferred by ambulance to hospital. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe consultant paediatrician first treated the boy on 13 March 2021 after he was transferred to hospital by ambulance. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe boy was kept in his room and had to sit on the floor in the days before his death. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe accused told gardaí that she shook the boy and that he fell on the floor on the day he suffered his fatal injuries. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeA pathologist is expected to say the brain injury was caused by shaking combined with contact with a flat surface, not a fall from a bunk bed. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe State Pathologist is expected to say the boy died of a traumatic head injury with blunt-force trauma to the stomach. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe boy died after being shaken by his stepmother. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeThe prosecution says the brain injury was caused by shaking combined with contact with a flat surface, not by a fall from a bunk bed. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeThe pathologist will say the boy died due to a traumatic head injury together with blunt force trauma to the stomach. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeThe prosecution says the child died from a traumatic head injury with blunt force trauma to the stomach. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeThe prosecution says the brain injury was caused by shaking combined with contact with a flat surface. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeA pathologist is expected to say the child died from a traumatic head injury combined with blunt force trauma to the stomach. (irishtimes.com)
  • causeThe State says the brain injury was caused by shaking combined with contact with a flat surface. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe accused searched online on the morning emergency services were called. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGardaí examined mobile phones and CCTV footage from a neighbour's home. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationOn the morning of the boy's death, the accused searched Google for a question about banging one's head and going to sleep. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe prosecution says the boy's father and stepmother kept him out of sight of other family members for several days because of bruises. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe State's case is that the father and stepmother kept the boy out of sight of other family members for several days. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe woman replied 'not guilty of murder, guilty of manslaughter' when arraigned on the murder charge. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe woman was arraigned on a murder charge and replied not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThe accused pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe accused has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the boy's manslaughter. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThe prosecution says there were a series of assaults on the boy that escalated on March 13. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThe stepmother has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the boy's manslaughter. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe woman is to go on trial at the Central Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMr Justice Paul McDermott swore in a jury of eight men and four women on Tuesday. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe trial is expected to last up to five weeks. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • courtMr Justice Paul McDermott swore in a jury of eight men and four women. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe trial is to take place at the Central Criminal Court. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe trial was expected to begin the following day. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtAnne Rowland SC gave the opening speech for the Director of Public Prosecutions. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of four women and eight men. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe accused is on trial for murder at the Central Criminal Court. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe accused has previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting the child in January 2021 and on March 5, 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe trial is before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of four women and eight men. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe stepmother pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the boy's manslaughter in March 2021. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe accused is 32 and from the southwest of the country. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe accused cannot be identified due to a court order. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe accused is aged 32 and from the south west of the country, and cannot be identified due to a court order. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe boy took about 15 minutes to die after life-support machines were turned off. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe boy was kept in his room in the days before his death and was grounded. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherA consultant paediatrician said the boy had significant bruises from head to toe, consistent with physical abuse or non-accidental injuries. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe paediatrician said the boy had significant bruises from head to toe, consistent with physical abuse or non-accidental injuries. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe father said the black eyes were the result of two falls over the previous two weeks. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherA consultant intensive care doctor said the dilated and unresponsive pupils indicated a severe traumatic brain injury. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 6 Nov2025
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Doctors gasped when reviewing injuries of dead boy (4), murder trial hears

    Trial report from the Central Criminal Court. Medical evidence from a paediatrician and an intensive care consultant, plus the State's opening case. No verdict reported.

    victim, 4, maleaccused, 30s, female
  2. 6 Nov2025
    In courtirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Doctors 'gasped' when they pulled back drapes on boy, 4, in operating theatre

    Reports medical evidence from the trial, including the paediatrician, emergency call, paramedic and intensive care evidence. The stepmother has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.

    victim, 4, maleaccused, 30s, female
  3. 6 Nov2025
    In courtirishmirror.ie, first report
    Boy kept 'out of sight' by stepmum to hide injuries before being shaken to death

    Reports the opening of the murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, including the prosecution's account of the boy's injuries, the accused's Garda interviews and her earlier guilty pleas to assaulting the child. Trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.

    victim, 4, maleaccused, 30s, female
  4. 5 Nov2025
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Four-year-old made sit on bedroom floor in days before death, murder trial hears

    Opening speech in the murder trial. The accused has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.

    accused, 30s, female, irish (judged from name)victim, 4, male
  5. 4 Nov2025
    In courtirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Woman pleads guilty to killing boy, 4, but denies the child's murder

    Reports the accused's partial guilty plea to manslaughter, her denial of murder, the jury being sworn in, and the expected length and start of the trial at the Central Criminal Court.

    victim, 4, maleaccused, 32, female
  6. 4 Nov2025
    In courtirishtimes.com, first report
    Woman pleads guilty to killing four-year-old, denies murder

    Reports the accused's guilty plea to manslaughter and not-guilty plea to murder, the swearing-in of the jury, and the expected length and start of the Central Criminal Court trial.

    accused, 32, femalevictim, 4½, male