Judges reject appeal in body-in-boot case
The Court of Criminal appeal (CCA) has dismissed an appeal brought by a Scottish man against his conviction for the murder of 54-year-old Waterford mother of two Mary "Mamie" Walsh almost three years ago.
Last November at the Central Criminal Court Samuel Jennings (aged 61), originally from Scotland, with an address at Ashtown, Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Mary Walsh of Glendalligan, Kilrossanty, Co Waterford, on a date unknown between August 30th and September 1st, 2004.
Following his conviction Jennings, who denied the charge, was given the mandatory life sentence by Mr Justice Barry White.
Today the three judge CCA consisting of Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman, Mr Justice Eamonn De Valera and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy dismissed Jennings' appeal against his conviction.
In dismissing the appeal Mr Justice Hardiman said that the court "did not feel the slightest bit of unease about the conviction".
The judge also noted the circumstantial evidence in this case was "very strong" against Jennings.
During the trial the court heard that Ms Walsh, a loan company agent, was killed for the money she was due to lodge in the bank. Her body was found in the boot of her car on August 31, 2004.
She died from severe head injuries and was found covered in a bloodstained sheet with a rope loosely tied around her neck. Jennings was due to meet Ms Walsh on August 30, 2004.
He was in financial difficulties but after this date Jennings saw a significant improvement in his financial condition and there were lodgments in bank accounts associated with him.
The jury heard that Ms Walsh worked as an agent for Provident Personal Credit Ltd. It was part of her job to lodge the loan repayments she had collected.
Jennings had spent a brief time working for Provident Personal Credit Ltd and he was also a client. Ms Walsh had given him training for the job.
