Frankie Dunne killer appeals conviction

He lodged an appeal on May 19 — despite his legal team indicating at the end of the trial that he had “accepted the finality of the jury verdict” and would not appeal the case

Ionut Cosmin Nicholescu did not give evidence during his trial. File picture: Cork Courts Limited

The man convicted of the murder of a man whose decapitated body was found in the garden of a Cork city house has lodged an appeal against his conviction.

A life sentence was imposed on Ionut Cosmin Nicholescu of Branistea Village, Damovita County, Romania, on April 28 for the murder of Frankie Dunne between December 27 and December 28, 2019, at Castlegreine House, Boreenamanna Road, Cork city. He had denied the murder of the 64-year-old Corkman but the jury found him guilty in a unanimous verdict.

The 31-year-old chef lodged an appeal on May 19 — despite his legal team indicating at the end of the trial that he had “accepted the finality of the jury verdict” and would not appeal the case.

Nicholescu left Cork three days after the murder. He travelled by bus to Belfast, before flying to Edinburgh and on to Bucharest.

His trial heard that the body of 64-year-old Mr Dunne was found at Castlegreine House by a neighbour searching for his missing cat. His head was in a black plastic bin-liner sack and his amputated arms were draped over a tree branch while the rest of his remains were stuffed under a tree. His clothes had been put into another bin-liner.

Nicholescu had been using an upstairs room of the boarded-up Castlegreine House as a squat prior to the murder.

Frankie Dunne lived in nearby Clanmornin House, a facility for homeless people in Cork city operated by Cork Simon. The trial heard that the Churchfield native used the garden of the abandoned Castlegreine House to drink alcohol as it was banned at Clanmornin House.

In a victim impact statement read at the end of the 14-day trial, Mr Dunne’s family described him as a loving father, grandfather, uncle and friend, and said they would be forever haunted by way he died.

Frankie Dunne was remembered by his family as a loving father, grandfather, uncle and friend.

The statement said: “The court warned us of the graphic details that would be outlined in the trial. This, we know, was necessary. But we have to live with this imagery for the rest of our lives. Some of the family are hugely affected by the evidence.

“He was murdered, mutilated, left abandoned. The humour being used by the offender was very insulting, disturbing and sickening. We hope that no family has to suffer what our family endured.

"While he succumbed to a life of alcohol dependency, he never lost the love of his family. Our dad never lost our love or support at any time during his addiction."

The presiding judge, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, highlighted that despite his alcohol problems Mr Dunne had a strong relationship with his family and that his body had been disrespected and dismembered.

Nicholescu did not give evidence during his trial. He was charged with the murder in December 2021, after being extradited back to Ireland from Romania.