Manslaughter accused blames sleep deprivation for giving statement

The Court of Criminal Appeal today heard how a statement was taken from a man suspected of being involved in the disappearance of a 19-year-old civil servant, when he was “mentally drained” and sleep deprived.

Martin Conmey, who is trying to overturn his conviction for the manslaughter of Una Lynskey almost 40 years ago, told the three-judge court he had “not slept in 24 hours” and “would have said anything” when he gave gardaí an account of events alleged to have occurred on the evening she vanished.