Former Justice Minister Nora Owen has said that High Court Judge Paul Carney was more sympathetic to the situation of convicted killer Wayne O’Donoghue than towards to the family of his victim 11-year-old Robert Holohan.

The mother of Robert Holohan, the 11-year-old schoolboy killed in Co Cork in January 2005, has reportedly criticised remarks made by the presiding judge in the killer's trial.

The mother of Cork schoolboy Robert Holohan said today that she feels the judicial system failed her family.

Wayne O'Donoghue's solicitor Frank Buttimer said his client had asked him to reiterate his sympathies for the tragic loss of Robert Holohan, and expressed his sympathy to his parents, family and friends.

Self-confessed child-killer Wayne O’Donoghue, who strangled his young neighbour in 2004, will serve only a four-year jail sentence for the killing, the appeal court ruled today.

The inquest into the death of schoolboy Robert Holohan got underway in Midleton this afternoon.

The inquest into the death of Co Cork schoolboy Robert Holohan is due to open in his home town of Midleton this morning.

A new book on the killing of 11-year-old schoolboy Robert Holohan is set to be published around the same time as the DPP's decision in the appeal against the sentence imposed on Wayne O'Donoghue.

The appeal by the DPP against the leniency of the four year jail sentence imposed on Wayne O' Donoghue for killing his 11-year-old neighbour Robert Holohan was adjourned until the end of this month today.

The parents of Robert Holohan are reported to be shocked and upset after the publication yesterday of an interview with the schoolboy's killer.

A SHRINE dedicated to the memory of schoolboy Robert Holohan has been desecrated.

THE Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) confirmed yesterday that he is reviewing his long-standing policy of not giving reasons for his decisions to victims.

The family of Robert Holohan has welcomed the DPP's decision to appeal the four-year prison sentence handed down to the man who killed the 11-year-old in January of last year.

The parents of murdered schoolboy Robert Holohan have written to the Cork County Coroner to ask for his killer to be summoned at the inquest into his death.

Robert Holohan's mother Majella has reportedly written to the Director of Public Prosecutions asking him to appeal against the sentence handed down to her son's killer.

The student convicted of killing Co Cork schoolboy Robert Holohan last January will reportedly refuse to attend the inquest into the 11-year-old's death.

Labour Party TD Joe Costello has called on the Director of Public Prosecutions to re-examine the sentence handed down to Wayne O'Donoghue yesterday.

“NO words I say will console those parents,” said grieving mother Annette Wall. She was expressing sympathy for Majella and Mark Holohan after the killer of their son Robert was jailed for four years yesterday.

A SEMEN sample found on Robert Holohan’s body was a DNA match for Wayne O’Donoghue — with only a 77-million-to-one chance of error, a forensic expert found.

Wayne O’Donoghue has been in custody there since a year ago last week, except during his trial last month.

IN the eight days when her son was missing, Majella Holohan quietly suffered the horrors of imagination.

Wayne O'Donoghue was today sentenced to four years in jail for the manslaughter of Cork schoolboy Robert Holohan, but Robert's mother, Majella, has said her family would appeal the sentence.

THE O'Donoghue house in Ballyedmond, Midleton is still lying vacant - nearly a year after their son confessed to killing Robert Holohan.

ROBERT Holohan's mother and father, Majella and Mark, sat through every moment of the trial of Wayne O'Donoghue for the murder of their son.

The jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork was today invited to conclude that Wayne O’Donoghue was guilty of the murder of Robert Holohan.

On day eight of the trial of Wayne O'Donoghue who denies murdering eleven-year-old Robert Holohan, Dr Jack Crane, pathologist for Northern Ireland was called by the defence today.

YESTERDAY afternoon the jury was played a tape of Wayne O'Donoghue being interviewed on January 17 at Midleton Garda Station.

The following is a transcript of the evidence of Rebecca Dennehy, girlfriend of Wayne O'Donoghue.

Robert Holohan’s father was questioned today about his late son’s temper tantrums and Mr Holohan said there were times he had to slap him on the legs and tell him to stop.

Wayne O'Donoghue, the man accused of murdering eleven-year-old Robert Holohan, stood beside the boy’s mother hours after his death and told her not to worry.

The judge in the trial of a 21-year-old student accused of murdering Robert Holohan earlier this year has ordered the jury to ignore media coverage of the proceedings.

MIDLETON schoolboy Robert Holohan died of neck injuries consistent with manual strangulation.

MANY were called but few were chosen.

The prosecution in the Robert Holohan murder trial claimed today that Wayne O’Donoghue killed the schoolboy, put plastic bags over the body, threw it into a remote ditch, and later took part in the community search for the boy's remains.

The young man accused of murdering Midleton schoolboy Robert Holohan pleaded not guilty to murder today but admitted the charge of manslaughter.

The 20-year-old man accused of murdering Co Cork schoolboy Robert Holohan has succeeded in having his trial delayed until next month.

A date has been set for the trial of a 20-year-old Cork student charged with the murder of Midleton schoolboy Robert Holohan (aged 11), today at the Central Criminal Court.

A 20-year-old student has been charged with the murder of 11-year-old Robert Holohan at Ballyedmond, Midleton Co Cork on January 4 last.

A 20-YEAR-OLD engineering student charged with the manslaughter of schoolboy Robert Holohan has been remanded in custody to appear in court again on February 3.