Garda blunders ‘allowed murder to occur’

A series of garda blunders culminated in a man murdering his own mother at a time when he should have been behind bars, according to a damning report from the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc).

Noreen Kelly-Eadon, 46, was found with multiple stab wounds in her home at Derrynacrieve, Islandeady, near Castlebar, Co Mayo, on March 9, 2012, one day before her then 19-year-old son, Celyn Eadon, was due to appear in Achill District Court. He would have been in jail at the time had a court order remanding him in custody been adhered to or the prepared warrant given to gardaí executed.

What ultimately happened to the warrant remains unknown because the original has gone missing and a copy was not retained, said Gsoc.