Ireland Case No. 3567Murder · Co. Mayo · 24 Oct 2024
Liam O'Leary, 33, on trial for murder of Mr Casserly in Ballina, Co Mayo
Liam O'Leary, 33, is on trial at Castlebar for the murder of Mr Casserly, who was stabbed 27 times and beaten in an apartment in Ballina, Co Mayo, on 24 October 2024. O'Leary, who pleaded not guilty, told gardai he acted in self-defence after the deceased told him 'you are dying tonight' and came at him with a knife.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court9 Mar
6 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports94 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe accused is a 33-year-old man (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe victim is John Casserly, aged 59 (irishtimes.com)
- whatO'Leary is 33 years old and of no fixed abode. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary is formerly of Kiltimagh in Mayo. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe trial narrative will include alleged events in Kiltimagh, Knock, Ballina and Ballyhaunis. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatCasserly was found lying naked on the ground, face up, with O'Leary standing over him, clothed. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatCasserly had been stabbed 27 times, including on both sides of the chest, in the abdomen, neck, left eye, genitals and anus. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatCasserly suffered multiple blunt force and incised wounds to his trunk, arms and legs. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
- whatCasserly's left eye had been removed from the skull by a combination of blunt and sharp force. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatAll the bones on the left side of Casserly's face were fractured. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí found Casserly lying naked on the ground, face up, with O'Leary standing over him, clothed, at about 12.50am. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatCasserly had suffered multiple blunt force and incised wounds to his trunk, arms and legs. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatCasserly's left eye had been removed from the skull by a combination of blunt and sharp force and all the bones on the left side of his face were fractured. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary barged into Forde's apartment, sat down on the settee, and repeatedly said he wanted sex. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatForde saw Casserly holding a metal stick/pole as she ran from the apartment. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary called the Men's Aid helpline that day, identifying himself only as Liam, and said he was feeling angry and suicidal. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary mentioned an injury to his penis to the helpline worker. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatOn the day of the murder, O'Leary answered the phone when Candy Moore rang Casserly, refused to let her speak to him, and told her he wanted to come to her house to have sex. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary told gardaí he acted in self-defence (irishtimes.com)
- whatCasserly came at O'Leary with a knife (irishtimes.com)
- whatCasserly was found lying naked on the ground, face up (irishtimes.com)
- whatCasserly was stabbed 27 times (irishtimes.com)
- whatStab wounds included both sides of the chest, abdomen, neck, left eye and genitals (irishtimes.com)
- whatJohn Casserly was 58 and died in his flat on Tone Street in Ballina (irishtimes.com)
- whatO'Leary said Casserly stabbed him in the arm (irishtimes.com)
- whatDr William Brunker pronounced Casserly dead at 1.31am (irishtimes.com)
- whatMr Casserly was found lying naked on the ground, face up, with O'Leary standing over him clothed. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMr Casserly was stabbed 27 times, including on both sides of the chest, in the abdomen, neck, left eye, genitals and anus. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMr Casserly suffered multiple blunt force and incised wounds to his trunk, arms and legs. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMr Casserly's left eye was removed from the skull by a combination of blunt and sharp force. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatAll the bones on the left side of Mr Casserly's face were fractured. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA blade had been inserted through Mr Casserly's mouth into the bony part of the palate and through the base of his skull. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA bent and damaged butter knife was removed from Mr Casserly's anus. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary told gardai he acted in self-defence. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary said the deceased told him 'you are dying tonight' and came at him with a knife. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary said he smashed the deceased's face with a glass and gouged his eye out. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary said the deceased stabbed him in the arm. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary said 'I killed a man tonight, if you want, put me in prison... if it wasn't him dead it would be me.' (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary said the deceased took off his clothes and whipped him with them. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatDr William Brunker pronounced Mr Casserly dead at 1.31am. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatO'Leary was treated for minor abrasions to his left arm at Ballina Garda Station. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe murder allegedly took place at an apartment in Tone House, Tone St, Ballina, Co Mayo (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe property is a Peter McVerry Trust housing unit (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe murder took place at an apartment in Tone House, Tone St, Ballina, Co Mayo. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe apartment was a Fr Peter McVerry Trust housing unit. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe murder took place at a Peter McVerry Trust housing unit on Tone St, Ballina, Co Mayo. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe murder occurred at a Peter McVerry Trust housing unit on Tone St, Ballina, Co Mayo. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereJoanna Forde lived in the apartment opposite Casserly's. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereNatasza Francuiziak lived at Tone House with her mother in an apartment below Casserly's. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe incident occurred at Tone House, Tone Street, Ballina, Co Mayo (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe incident occurred at an apartment at Tone House, Tone St, Ballina, Co Mayo. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe murder allegedly occurred between 23 and 24 October 2024 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe trial is set to begin on Tuesday (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe murder allegedly occurred between October 23 and 24, 2024. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe incident occurred between October 23 and 24, 2024. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenAt about 11.45pm, O'Leary knocked on a neighbour's door, followed shortly by Casserly. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenGardaí breached the apartment door at about 12.50am. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe murder occurred between October 23 and 24, 2024. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenForde heard the two men arguing from mid-afternoon into the late evening. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenAt about 11.30pm, Forde heard a knock and opened the door to find O'Leary. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenFrancuiziak first spoke to Casserly on October 17, one week before his death, about the fire alarm and cannabis smell. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenGardaí breached the apartment door at about 12.50am on 24 October 2024 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe incident occurred at about 12.50am on 24 October 2024. (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponState Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers removed a blade that had been inserted through Casserly's mouth into the bony part of the palate and the base of the skull. (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponThe pathologist removed a bent and damaged butter knife from Casserly's anus. (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponA blade had been inserted through Casserly's mouth into the bony part of the palate and through the base of the skull. (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponA bent and damaged butter knife was removed from Casserly's anus. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí waited for the Armed Support Unit to arrive from Claremorris to breach the apartment door (irishtimes.com)
- investigationState Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers performed the post-mortem examination. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe Armed Support Unit from Claremorris breached the apartment door. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeLiam O'Leary is charged with the murder of John Casserly (59). (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeLiam O'Leary, 33, denies the murder of 58-year-old John Casserly. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeLiam O'Leary, 33, of no fixed abode, pleaded not guilty to the murder of John Casserly, 58. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtO'Leary pleaded not guilty to the murder charge (irishtimes.com)
- courtJudge Paul McDermott is presiding over the trial (irishtimes.com)
- courtA jury of nine men and three women was sworn (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial is expected to last up to three weeks (irishtimes.com)
- courtO'Leary pleaded not guilty to the charge. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial began on 10 March 2026 and is expected to last up to three weeks. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtMr Justice Paul McDermott swore a jury of nine men and three women. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtO'Leary was brought before Judge Fiona Lydon at Castlebar District Court. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtJurors with a connection to the trust or the charity Men's Aid were told not to sit. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtAnyone with a connection to Mayo was told not to sit. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial opened at the Central Criminal Court on 10 March 2026. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe jury consists of nine men and three women. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial is being heard at Castlebar District Court before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury of nine men and three women. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial is before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury of nine men and three women (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial is before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury of nine men and three women. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherJohn Casserly was born in Wigan, northern England, in 1965 to parents from Mayo. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherCasserly's family moved to Knock in Mayo in 1983. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherCasserly moved to the US for about 15 years before returning to Mayo and settling in Ballina in 2014. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherCasserly lived at Tone House, an apartment building operated by the Peter McVerry charity. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherCasserly did not know O'Leary until a few weeks before his death. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherO'Leary needed a place to stay and Casserly took him into his one-bed apartment. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 13 Mar2026'You are dying tonight' - Murder accused told gardai he acted in self defence
Trial opened; prosecution described the killing as 'almost indescribable savagery' with 27 stab wounds and a blade driven through the palate into the skull; O'Leary's self-defence account to gardai detailed; trial continues before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury.
victim, Mr Casserly, maleMr Casserlyaccused, Liam O'Leary, 33, male, named, irish (judged from name)Liam O'Leary - 13 Mar2026Man accused of ‘savage’ murder in Co Mayo told gardaí he acted in self-defence
Trial opened at the Central Criminal Court before Judge Melanie Greally; prosecution described the injuries as 'almost indescribable savagery'; O'Leary's self-defence account to gardaí detailed, including that Casserly threatened him and came at him with a knife.
victim, John Casserly, 58, male, irish (judged from name)John Casserlyaccused, 33, male, irish (judged from name) - 11 Mar2026Woman "fled" for her life when murder accused barged into home asking for sex
Trial testimony from neighbours Joanna Forde and Natasza Francuiziak, Men's Aid helpline workers, a Garda, a friend of the deceased, and a Mayo County Council housing officer describing events on the day of the murder and the condition of the body when gardaí entered the apartment.
victim, John Casserly, 58, male, irish (judged from name)John Casserlyaccused, Liam O'Leary, 33, male, named, irish (judged from name)Liam O'Leary - 10 Mar2026Murder trial told deceased had eye removed and 27 stab wounds
Trial opened at the Central Criminal Court; prosecution outlined the injuries sustained by the deceased including 27 stab wounds, a removed eye, a blade inserted through the mouth into the skull, and a butter knife in the anus. The jury was told the deceased was described as 'incredibly kind' and died in circumstances of 'almost indescribable savagery'.
victim, John Casserly, 58, male, irish (judged from name)John Casserlyaccused, Liam O'Leary, 33, male, named, irish (judged from name)Liam O'Leary - 10 Mar2026Man pleads not guilty to murder at Fr Peter McVerry Trust housing unit
Trial commences; O'Leary pleads not guilty; jury sworn; directions given to jurors regarding connections to the trust, Men's Aid, and Mayo.
victim, John Casserly, 59, male, irish (judged from name)John Casserlyaccused, Liam O'Leary, 33, male, named, irish (judged from name)Liam O'Leary - 9 Mar2026Man pleads not guilty to murder alleged to have taken place at Peter McVerry Trust property
First court appearance: O'Leary pleaded not guilty; jury sworn; trial set to begin the following Tuesday and expected to last up to three weeks.
victim, John Casserly, 59, male, irish (judged from name)John Casserlyaccused, 33, male, irish (judged from name)