Meath man's bid to overturn 1972 manslaughter conviction ready to go ahead
A bid by a Meath man to quash his conviction for killing a teenager in the Wicklow Mountains almost 40 years ago, opens at the Court of Criminal Appeal next week.
Martin Conmey (aged 59) of Porterstown Lane, Co Meath, is claiming new evidence not available at the time of his trial in 1972 will prove he was not responsible for the death of Una Lynskey.
The 19-year-old civil servant's body was discovered in a ditch in a remote part of Glendhu, two months after she disappeared while walking home in 1971.
Mr Conmey, a father of one and another man, Dick Donnelly, were convicted of her manslaughter in 1972.
Both men appealed and Donnelly's conviction was overturned, but Martin Conmey served three years in prison for the offence.
A third man, Martin Kerrigan, was also suspected of having been involved in the crime, but he was killed just weeks after the body of Ms Lynskey was discovered.
The hearing of Mr Conmey’s case, being brought under Section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993, opens on Tuesday and is expected to “three, possibly four, days”.
His application is considered as the first step in a bid to have his conviction declared a miscarriage of justice.
Lawyers for Martin Comney, led by Mr Hugh Harnett SC today, told the Court of Criminal Appeal, Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan presiding, that the case “is ready to go on”.
It will be heard by Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman presiding, sitting with Mr Justice Declan Budd and Mr Justice Eamon de Valera.
The State is opposing the application.
