Partner of murder victim believes her death was a ‘miscarriage of justice’

BRINGING FORMALITY TO PROCEEDINGS'  Coroner for Mayo, Patrick O'Connor.

Inquest hears from partner of murder victim

Anton McNulty

THE partner of an Islandeady woman who was murdered by her son believes that she was a victim of a miscarriage of justice and should be still alive.
Noirín Kelly of Derrycrieve, Islandeady was found dead in her family home on March 9, 2011, after she was stabbed several times. The inquest into the death of the 46-year-old mother of four took place in Castlebar yesterday (Monday) and heard that her son Celyn Eadon was convicted of her murder on February 5, 2014, and the conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal on May 15 last.
Michael Kelly from Westport, the partner of the murdered woman, told Coroner Patrick O’Connor that Ms Kelly accompanied her son to court three weeks before her death, where he was charged with failing to appear in court previously.
He explained that she pleaded to the judge for her son to receive help, as he was ‘sick’, and said the judge sentenced him to ten days imprisonment, but also ordered that he be psychiatrically assessed. It later emerged that the warrant for his remand in custody was lost and referred to GSOC to investigate.
“I tried to put it to the jury at the time of the trial but neither the prosecution or the defence thought it pertinent for the jury to hear. I feel it was a miscarriage of justice. She should be still here,” he told the inquest.
Superintendent Joe McKenna did not respond to Mr Kelly’s accusations at the inquest and Mr O’Connor replied that while he knew it was very difficult for him, an inquest was limited in what it can determine.
Detective Sergeant James Carroll had earlier told the inquest that he arrived at the scene of the murder at 3.51am and saw Ms Kelly lying on a bed. Later that morning he met Celyn Eadon at Corha, Islandeady and arrested him in relation to the death of his mother.

Trial
The trial at the Central Criminal Court heard that Eadon was 19-years-old at the time of the murder and had begun taking drugs at an early age. At the time of his mother’s death, he was taking amphetamines, methamphetamines and cannabis along with prescription medication.
The court was told that Ms Kelly had taken drugs from her son’s bedroom and burnt them on the evening before she died.
Mr O’Connor said that while Mr Eadon was convicted by a jury, and the facts were heard in the trial, the purpose of the inquest was to bring formality to the proceedings. He instructed the seven person jury to record a verdict of death due to homicide murder. He expressed his sympathy to Mr Kelly and Peter Kelly, brother of the deceased, and to the extended Kelly family.
“To die suddenly is always a great tragedy but to die as a result of someone’s actions is the greatest tragedy of all,” he said.
Supt McKenna said he personally knew Ms Kelly when they were growing up and expressed his deepest sympathies to her three sons and daughter, and to her partner Michael, and the extended Kelly family.