Ireland Case No. 1387Impeding prosecution (getaway driver) · Co. Dublin · 9 May 2022
Getaway driver in Ballymun murder sentenced to three years in Dublin
Lisa Thompson, a 52-year-old woman and mother of two, was found dead at her home in Ballymun, Dublin, in May 2022 after being strangled with a window blind cord and stabbed 11 times. Deirdre Arnold, a 42-year-old woman and former HSE addiction counsellor, was charged with impeding the prosecution of Brian McHugh, 40, who was found to have murdered Thompson, after driving him from the scene and checking him into a hotel. A Central Criminal Court jury found Arnold unanimously guilty on both counts in April 2025. In July 2025, Mr Justice McGrath sentenced her to three years' imprisonment with the final year suspended on both counts, running concurrently, after reducing the headline sentence from five years. McHugh was jailed for life in March 2025 for the murder.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court24 Apr
4 reports - Convicted8 Apr
2 reports - Sentenced4 Jul
3 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Lisa Thompson, 52, was found dead at her home in Ballymun, Dublin, having suffered ligature strangulation and 11 stab wounds to the left side of the chest.
- Deirdre Arnold, 42, a former HSE addiction counsellor, drove Brian McHugh from the scene, checked him into the Clayton Hotel near Dublin Airport, and allowed her silver Hyundai Tucson to be used to dispose of evidence at Applegreen service station.
- Where
- The murder took place at Sandyhill Gardens, Ballymun, Dublin 11.
- When
- The murder occurred on 9 May 2022, though some reports date it to 10 May 2022.
- Cause
- Death was caused by ligature strangulation causing asphyxia and multiple stab wounds to the chest, with no contributing factors.
- Weapon
- A window blind cord was used for strangulation and a knife or knife-shaped object caused the 11 stab wounds.
- Charges
- Arnold was charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of McHugh and perverting the course of public justice.
- In court
- Arnold was tried before Mr Justice McGrath at the Central Criminal Court and found unanimously guilty on both counts in April 2025.
- Sentence
- Arnold was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with the final year suspended on both counts, running concurrently, after the headline sentence of five years was reduced following mitigation.
- Brian McHugh was sentenced to life imprisonment on 10 March 2025 for the murder of Thompson.
- Other details
- Arnold was in an abusive relationship with McHugh, had made domestic abuse complaints, and held an interim barring order against him.
- Gardaí found thousands of prescription tablets worth nearly €50,000 hidden in the attic of Thompson's house.
121 statements extracted from the articles
- whatLisa Thompson, 52, was found dead in her home having suffered multiple stab wounds. (thejournal.ie)
- whatDeirdre Arnold is 42 years old and employed by the HSE (irishtimes.com)
- whatDeirdre Arnold is 42 years old and on trial at the Central Criminal Court (irishtimes.com)
- whatShe is accused of being the getaway driver for the murderer of Lisa Thompson (irishtimes.com)
- whatLisa Thompson was found stabbed to death in her home (irishtimes.com)
- whatShe drove McHugh away from the scene and later checked him into a hotel (irishtimes.com)
- whatParamedics found numerous puncture wounds to the chest and a window blind cord wrapped around the neck (irishtimes.com)
- whatTwo knives were missing from a block of knives in the kitchen (irishtimes.com)
- whatPathologist Dr Linda Mulligan found death was through ligature strangulation causing asphyxia and multiple stab wounds to the left side of the chest (irishtimes.com)
- whatCCTV footage will show Ms Arnold and McHugh getting out of the car at the service station, with McHugh showing jewellery to the cashier (irishtimes.com)
- whatDeirdre Arnold is a 42-year-old woman accused of being the getaway driver for the murderer of Lisa Thompson (irishtimes.com)
- whatLisa Thompson was a mother-of-two found dead at her home (irishtimes.com)
- whatArnold later checked McHugh into a hotel to help him evade prosecution (irishtimes.com)
- whatCCTV footage shows a woman driving a silver Hyundai Tucson on the evening of May 8th (irishtimes.com)
- whatThere were multiple stab wounds on the left side of the chest centred on the area above the heart (irishtimes.com)
- whatThere was a group of 11 stab wounds covering an area 7cm vertically by 10cm horizontally (irishtimes.com)
- whatThere were six stab wounds to the heart, two of which were through and through injuries (irishtimes.com)
- whatThere were further stab wounds in the left lung, one of which was also a through and through wound (irishtimes.com)
- whatBloods showed evidence of fluoxetine, an antidepressant, and a separate antipsychotic drug (irishtimes.com)
- whatJohn McDonagh, a born-again Christian, had known Lisa Thompson for six or seven years after meeting her through a neighbour (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcHugh had reappeared and was in contact with Lisa Thompson by text about two or three weeks prior to her death (irishtimes.com)
- whatDeirdre Arnold, 42, an HSE addiction counsellor, was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe jury unanimously rejected the defence contention that the prosecution failed to prove Arnold knew McHugh had committed a murder. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMcHugh murdered Lisa Thompson by strangling her with a blind cord and stabbing her to death in her own home. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe jury found McHugh had inflicted 11 stab wounds to Thompson's chest, six of which penetrated her heart and two went through and through. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí searching Thompson's house found thousands of prescription tablets worth nearly €50,000 hidden in the attic. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThompson and McHugh had a romantic relationship in the year before her death. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatArnold waited outside Thompson's home for well over an hour before driving McHugh away from the scene. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatArnold checked McHugh into the Clayton Hotel near Dublin Airport to help him evade prosecution. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com, rte.ie)
- whatArnold's silver Hyundai Tucson was used to dispose of evidence taken from Thompson's home. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA fingerprint on a jewellery valuation certificate found in Arnold's vehicle on 17 May 2022 was linked to Thompson and matched Arnold's right middle finger. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe jewellery valuation certificate was a receipt for an engagement ring bought for Thompson by a former fiancé. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatText messages from a number linked to Arnold to McHugh on 18 and 19 June 2022 included references to strangulation and stabbing. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatFurther text messages from Arnold to McHugh in June 2022 included "Murder Lisa n al", "Move the knife did u" and "Ur runners n the knife". (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA senior investigating officer told the jury that details of the ligature and strangulation had not been released to the public in June 2022 and were retained for operational reasons. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMcHugh had broken Arnold's arm by holding it on the bottom of a stairway and stamping on it. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatArnold had made domestic abuse complaints and obtained an interim barring order against McHugh. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA recording dated 22 November 2021 of McHugh calling Arnold a "dirty, smelly, blonde wh**e" and threatening to cut her throat was played to the jury. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatBrian McHugh murdered Lisa Thompson by strangling her with a blind cord and stabbing her to death in her own home. (irishtimes.com)
- whatLisa Thompson was a mother of two. (irishtimes.com)
- whatLisa Thompson was dealing prescription drugs from her home. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí found thousands of prescription tablets worth nearly €50,000 hidden in the attic of Thompson's house. (irishtimes.com)
- whatArnold told gardaí that McHugh broke her arm by holding it on the bottom of a stairwell and stamping on it. (irishtimes.com)
- whatArnold had made domestic abuse complaints and been granted an interim barring order against McHugh. (irishtimes.com)
- whatArnold was sentenced for acting as a getaway driver for Brian McHugh, who murdered Lisa Thompson in Dublin. (rte.ie)
- whatArnold was subjected to domestic abuse and considerable violence by Brian McHugh during their relationship. (irishtimes.com)
- whatLisa Thompson, 52, was found dead in her home in Ballymun. (irishtimes.com)
- whatBrian McHugh, 40, of Cairn Court, Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11, was jailed for life in March 2025 for murdering Thompson. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA jury found McHugh had inflicted 11 stab wounds to Thompson's chest and wrapped a blind cord around her neck. (irishtimes.com)
- whatArnold had resigned from her State job and is the sole financial support for her three children. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
- whatA senior investigating officer told the jury that details of the ligature and strangulation of Thompson had not been released into the public domain in June 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- whatLisa Thompson, 52, was a mother-of-two who was murdered. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatArnold and McHugh went to Applegreen station and disposed of items taken from the deceased's house. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatArnold spent 36 hours with McHugh at the Clayton Hotel in the aftermath. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMcHugh allegedly broke Arnold's arm by holding it on the bottom of a stairway and stamping on it. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe murder is alleged to have happened at Sandyhill Gardens, Ballymun. (thejournal.ie)
- whereDeirdre Arnold has an address at Briarfield Grove, Kilbarrick, Dublin 5 (irishtimes.com)
- whereLisa Thompson had an address at Sandyhill Gardens, Ballymun, Dublin 11 (irishtimes.com)
- whereMs Arnold's address is Briarfield Grove, Kilbarrack, Dublin 5 (irishtimes.com)
- whereEvidence will be heard regarding the Clayton Hotel near Dublin Airport and a conversation Arnold had about booking a room (irishtimes.com)
- whereDeirdre Arnold has an address at Briarfield Grove, Kilbarrack, Dublin 5 (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe murder took place at Sandyhill Gardens, Ballymun, Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereArnold drove McHugh to Ms Thompson's home at Sandyhill Gardens in Ballymun on 9 May 2022. (rte.ie)
- whereThompson's home was at Sandyhill Gardens in Ballymun. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe murder is alleged to have happened on 10 May 2022. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe charges relate to a date between May 9 and May 10, 2022 (irishtimes.com)
- whenMs Thompson was pronounced dead at 4.48pm (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe Tucson left the service station at 3.21am and returned at 4.04am (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe two people on CCTV remained at the service station until 4.49am (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe charges relate to a date between May 9th and May 10th, 2022 (irishtimes.com)
- whenChief State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan carried out a postmortem on the deceased on May 11th, 2022 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe murder occurred on 9 May 2022. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
- whenLisa Thompson was found dead at her home in May 2022. (rte.ie)
- whenArnold drove McHugh to Thompson's home on May 9, 2022, and waited outside for well over an hour before driving him away. (irishmirror.ie)
- causeThe victim had multiple stab wounds. (thejournal.ie)
- causeDeath was caused by a combination of ligature strangulation causing asphyxia and multiple stab wounds to the chest with no contributing factors (irishtimes.com)
- causeMcHugh was found by a jury to have inflicted 11 stab wounds to Ms Thompson's chest and to have wrapped a blind cord around her neck. (rte.ie)
- weaponThe stab wounds were caused by a knife or a knife-shaped object (irishtimes.com)
- weaponMcHugh inflicted 11 stab wounds to Thompson's chest and wrapped a blind cord around her neck. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeBrian McHugh is charged with the murder of Lisa Thompson. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeDeirdre Arnold is charged with impeding the prosecution or apprehension of the alleged murderer between 9 May and 11 July 2022. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeArnold is charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Brian McHugh (irishtimes.com)
- chargeArnold is charged with perverting the course of public justice (irishtimes.com)
- chargeBrian McHugh is identified as having committed the arrestable offence of murder (irishtimes.com)
- chargeShe is charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Brian McHugh (irishtimes.com)
- chargeShe is also charged with perverting the course of public justice (irishtimes.com)
- chargeArnold is charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Brian McHugh, who committed murder (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial date was fixed at the Central Criminal Court. (thejournal.ie)
- courtA trial date of 26 February 2024 was fixed. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe trial is expected to last four weeks. (thejournal.ie)
- courtArnold pleaded not guilty to both counts at arraignment (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial is before Mr Justice Patrick McGrath at the Central Criminal Court (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial is expected to last up to eight days (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial is before Mr Justice Patrick McGrath and a jury of seven men and five women (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe 11 jurors took five hours and 33 minutes over two days to unanimously reject the defence case. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice McGrath remanded Arnold on continuing bail until 20 June 2025 for sentencing. (irishtimes.com)
- courtA jury in a separate trial the previous April found Arnold had decided to assist McHugh. (rte.ie)
- courtThe sentencing took place at the Central Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceBrian McHugh was sentenced to life imprisonment on 10 March 2025 for the murder. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceArnold was sentenced to three years imprisonment with the final year suspended on both counts. (rte.ie)
- sentenceThe judge reduced the headline sentence of five years to three years after considering mitigation. (rte.ie)
- sentenceThe sentences are to run concurrently. (rte.ie)
- sentenceThe judge reduced the headline sentence of five years to three years with a period of suspension on certain terms. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceArnold was sentenced to three years imprisonment with the final year suspended on both counts, running concurrently. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe headline sentence was set at five years and reduced to three years after mitigation. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherCase management is to be completed by 21 July 2023. (thejournal.ie)
- otherMs Arnold pleaded not guilty to both counts (irishtimes.com)
- otherFiona Murphy SC is counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions (irishtimes.com)
- otherBrian McHugh is 40 years old (irishtimes.com)
- otherLisa Thompson is 52 years old (irishtimes.com)
- otherArnold is the sole financial support for her family and a mother of three. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe prosecution's case was that Arnold allowed her silver Hyundai Tucson to be used to dispose of evidence taken from Ms Thompson's home. (rte.ie)
- otherThe judge said Arnold had not fully come to terms with her role in the matter. (rte.ie)
- otherArnold was 42 and a former HSE addiction counsellor from Briarfield Grove, Kilbarrack, Dublin 5. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherBrian McHugh was 40 with a former address at Cairn Court, Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherArnold was in an abusive relationship with McHugh and had an interim barring order against him. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherText messages from Arnold to McHugh in June 2022 included 'I could of been like Lisa today strangle n stab'. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherOther text messages included 'Murder Lisa n al', 'Move the knife did u', and 'Ur runners n the knife'. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThompson was dealing prescription drugs from her home, with thousands of tablets worth nearly €50,000 found hidden in the attic. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThompson and McHugh had a 'bit of a fling' in the year before she died. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherArnold had one previous conviction from 2022 for attempting to drive under the influence of drugs, receiving a fine and 18 months' disqualification. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 4 Jul2025Former HSE addiction counsellor jailed for acting as get-away driver for 'thug'
Sentencing of Deirdre Arnold for assisting Brian McHugh, who was jailed for life in March 2025 for the murder of Lisa Thompson in Ballymun. The judge noted Arnold was in an abusive relationship with McHugh but found she still had a choice in her actions.
convicted, Deirdre Arnold, 42, female, named, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Arnoldconvicted, Brian McHugh, 40, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McHughvictim, Lisa Thompson, 52, female, irish (judged from name)Lisa Thompson - 4 Jul2025Former HSE employee who acted as getaway driver for Lisa Thompson’s killer is jailed
Sentencing of Deirdre Arnold, convicted in April 2025 of impeding the prosecution of Brian McHugh (jailed for life in March 2025) for the murder of Lisa Thompson. Judge McGrath reduced the headline sentence from five to three years with a period of suspension, citing Arnold's abusive relationship with McHugh and her genuine remorse.
victim, Lisa Thompson, 52, female, irish (judged from name)Lisa Thompsonconvicted, Deirdre Arnold, 42, female, named, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Arnoldconvicted, Brian McHugh, 40, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McHugh - 4 Jul2025Woman who was getaway driver in Thompson murder jailed
Sentencing report. Adds the sentence (three years with the final year suspended, concurrent on both counts) and the judge's reasoning. The lead says two years, but the body of the article states three years, which conflicts with case 1387's two-year figure.
victim, Lisa Thompson, 52, female, irish (judged from name)Lisa Thompsonconvicted, Deirdre Arnold, 42, female, named, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Arnoldconvicted, Brian McHugh, 40, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McHugh - 8 Apr2025HSE addiction counsellor found guilty of being getaway driver for Lisa Thompson murderer
Reports the jury verdict finding Arnold guilty of being the getaway driver for McHugh, details of the trial evidence including the murder method, the prescription drug dealing, domestic abuse history, and the bail decision pending sentencing on 20 June 2025.
victim, Lisa Thompson, female, irish (judged from name)Lisa Thompsonconvicted, Deirdre Arnold, 42, female, named, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Arnoldconvicted, Brian McHugh, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McHugh - 8 Apr2025HSE counsellor found guilty of being getaway driver for Lisa Thompson murderer
Reports the unanimous jury verdict finding Arnold guilty on both counts, trial evidence including text messages, fingerprint on a jewellery certificate, the murder circumstances (strangulation and 11 stab wounds), and the remand on continuing bail until the 20 June 2025 sentencing hearing.
convicted, Deirdre Arnold, 42, female, named, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Arnoldconvicted, Brian McHugh, 40, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McHughvictim, Lisa Thompson, 52, female, irish (judged from name)Lisa Thompson - 25 Mar2025Lisa Thompson murder: Jury shown footage in trial of woman accused of being getaway driver
Trial in progress: jury shown CCTV footage of a silver Hyundai Tucson on the evening of May 8th 2022; Chief State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan gave evidence on postmortem findings (ligature strangulation and 11 stab wounds, 6 to the heart); witness John McDonagh described last contact with Lisa Thompson; prosecution case that Arnold drove McHugh to the victim's home, waited over an hour, drove him away, checked him into a hotel, and allowed her vehicle to be used to dispose of evidence.
accused, Deirdre Arnold, 42, female, named, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Arnoldsuspect, Brian McHugh, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McHughvictim, Lisa Thompson, female, irish (judged from name)Lisa Thompson - 24 Mar2025Woman (42) accused of being getaway driver in Lisa Thompson murder case
Covers the prosecution's opening statement at the trial, including details of the Hyundai Tucson, the Applegreen service station visit, the Clayton Hotel booking, the postmortem findings of ligature strangulation and stab wounds, and the search of McHugh's home at Cairn Court where jewellery linked to Thompson was found.
victim, Lisa Thompson, 52, female, irish (judged from name)Lisa Thompsonaccused, Deirdre Arnold, 42, female, named, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Arnoldsuspect, Brian McHugh, 40, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McHugh - 21 Mar2025HSE employee to stand trial accused of impeding investigation into Lisa Thompson murder
Reports on jury selection and arraignment; jury of 8 men and 4 women sworn in; trial expected to last up to 8 days; judge informed jury that Lisa Thompson had an address at Sandyhill Gardens, Ballymun, Dublin 11; Arnold pleaded not guilty to both counts.
accused, Deirdre Arnold, 42, female, named, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Arnoldvictim, Lisa Thompson, female, irish (judged from name)Lisa Thompsonsuspect, Brian McHugh, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McHugh - 24 Apr2023Trial date set for man accused of murdering Lisa Thompson
Adds the trial date of 26 February 2024, fixed at the Central Criminal Court, the expected length of trial, the case management deadline of 21 July 2023, and the charge against co-accused Deirdre Arnold. This article dates the murder to 10 May 2022, while other reports in the existing cases give 9 May 2022.
victim, Lisa Thompson, 52, female, irish (judged from name)Lisa Thompsonaccused, Brian McHugh, 38, male, named, irish (judged from name)Brian McHughaccused, Deirdre Arnold, 40, named, irish (judged from name)Deirdre Arnold