Patrick Quirke’s lawyers have criticised the investigation into Bobby Ryan’s murder and suggested a key witness was allowed to prejudice the jury.
Quirke, a farmer from Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, is appealing his conviction for the murder of the local DJ, who was known as Mr Moonlight.
Patrick Quirke is serving a life sentence for the murder of Bobby ‘Mr Moonlight’ Ryan. A jury found him guilty last year by majority verdict.
It was the prosecution’s case that he killed him to get back with Bobby’s partner, Mary Lowry, a woman with whom Quirke cheated on his wife with.
His lawyers claim he didn’t get a fair trial.
Among their criticism of the investigation into the murder was a claim that the crime scene was compromised.
Defence barrister Bernard Condon also described Ms Lowry as a witness of some concern. She was the prosecution’s key witness, but he claimed she was allowed to advance prejudice after prejudice against his client.
At one point during the trial, he reminded the judges that she said she was there to solve the murder. He argued the judge shouldn’t have allowed some of the things she said to gardaí to go to the jury.
He’ll continue his submissions tomorrow.
