“Unfortunate situation” leads to jury discharge in Mayo murder trial

An “unfortunate situation” has led to the discharge of a jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering his friend in circumstances of “almost indescribable savagery.”

Liam O'Leary (33) pleaded not guilty to the murder of 58-year-old John Casserly at a Peter McVerry Trust housing unit on Tone St, Ballina, Co Mayo between October 23 and 24, 2024. Mr O'Leary's trial began at the Central Criminal Court eight days ago and it had been expected that the prosecution would complete its evidence this week.

However, Ms Justice Melanie Greally today told the jury that due to an “unfortunate situation”, the trial cannot continue. She thanked them for doing their civic duty by agreeing to sit in what she said has been “a deeply disturbing and unpleasant trial.” She excused the jurors from further service for five years. The case will be mentioned again before the court on April 15.

Opening the trial on March 10, prosecution senior counsel Dean Kelly told the jury that the alarm was raised when Mr O'Leary and Mr Casserly entered a neighbour's apartment in Tone House, causing the occupants to flee downstairs. When gardai breached the door of the apartment, they found Mr Casserly lying naked on the ground, face up, with Mr O'Leary standing over him, clothed.

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Mr Kelly said Mr Casserly died in circumstances of “almost indescribable savagery,” having been stabbed 27 times, including on both sides of the chest, in the abdomen, neck, left eye, genitals and anus. He had suffered multiple blunt force and incised wounds to his trunk, arms and legs, Mr Kelly said.
His 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. State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers removed a blade that had been inserted through Mr Casserly's mouth, into the bony part of the palate and through the base of the skull. The pathologist also removed a bent and damaged butter knife from Mr Casserly's anus.