Kearney loses appeal against conviction for murdering wife

The Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed Brian Kearney's appeal against his conviction for killing his wife Siobhan at their Dublin home.

Today the three-judge court comprising of Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, sitting with Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunne and Mr Justice John MacMenamin dismissed the appeal.

Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns said that the court would give its reasons for dismissing the appeal at a future date.

The decision was greeted with applause from members of the victim's family and cheers of "yes", and "put him back in his cage".

Kearney, who was seated close to members of his own family, showed no emotion when the verdict was announced.

Outside the court members of Siobhan Kearney's family expressed their delight at the CCA's decision.

"Justice had been done," they said, "even though Brian Kearney was heading back to prison he would one day feel grass under his feet, whereas Siobhan would not."

Siobhan's sister Aisling McLaughlin said that it had been an emotional and difficult day for her family.

She said that the family were delighted with the ruling that ensured that Brian Kearney, who she described as an "evil monster", was back where he belonged.

"No words could describe the loss of Siobhan."

Aisling added that all her sister had ever wanted was to get out of an unhappy marriage.

"However she had been denied many happy family occasions and Siobhan's son Dan had been denied his mother."

In 2008, Brian Kearney was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court of murdering his wife, the mother of their young son, at their home at Carnroe, Knocknashee, Goatstown, on February 28, 2006, his 49th birthday. Kearney had denied the charge.

Kearney (aged 52) was convicted in March 2008 of his 38-year-old wife's murder by a majority jury verdict of 11 to one and Mr Justice Barry White imposed the mandatory life sentence.

During the trial, the prosecution argued Siobhan Kearney was planning to separate from her husband and to move into a new home the couple had built, but this did not fit into Kearney's plans and he had strangled her with a vacuum cleaner flex before attempting to make her death look like a suicide.