Cork man loses murder appeal
A Cork man who was jailed for life for the murder of a young Englishman who had joked about his father being in a loyalist organisation has failed in an appeal against his conviction today.
Timothy O’Driscoll (aged 36), formerly of St. Rita’s Avenue, Gurranabraher, stabbed Lee McCarthy (aged 25) to death after drinking with him and inviting him back to his family home.
In October 2011, O’Driscoll was jailed for life by Mr Justice Paul Carney after he was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury in Cork of the murder of Mr McCarthy at St Rita’s Avenue on April 17, 2010.
Lawyers for O’Driscoll had argued at the trial that he was provoked by a claim by Mr McCarthy that his father had been in the UVF or LVF.
The key prosecution witness testified at the trial that he believed Mr McCarthy was joking about the matter.
Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman, presiding at the Court of Criminal Appeal, today said the court found that there were no grounds on which the court could intervene in the conviction.
