Murder accused claimed he last saw Kieran Quilligan walking down a lane to buy drugs, garda says

Luke Taylor also said Niall Long, his co-accused, drove him and Mr Quilligan to Little Island that day, the court hears

Luke Taylor (pictured) is on trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork on a charge that states that on a date unknown between September 1, 2023, and January 29, 2024, at an unknown location within the state in the District Court area of Cork City he did murder Kieran Quilligan, contrary to Common Law.

One of the two men accused of murdering 47-year-old Kieran Quilligan said his co-accused drove him and Mr Quilligan to Little Island where the deceased got out and walked down a lane to buy drugs — and that was the last he saw of him.

Detective Garda Joe Crowley testified in the murder trial on Thursday that he spoke to the accused man, Luke Taylor, on October 6, 2023, and that the accused told him and Garda Kevin Roche that he had information about then missing person Kieran Quilligan, saying that he knew people were talking about him being the last person seen with him.

The detective said Luke Taylor said he and Kieran Quilligan walked to the steps beside St. Fin Barre’s cathedral and they both got into the back seat of the car driven by co-accused, Niall Long.

The detective said that Luke Taylor said Niall Long then drove the three of them to Little Island and dropped Mr Quilligan at the top of a laneway and told him that he could meet a man to buy drugs down that laneway. Luke Taylor then told the detective that Niall Long drove him (Taylor) to his girlfriend’s apartment at Jacob’s Island.

The detective said Luke Taylor told him: “That was the last time he saw Kieran Quilligan. I asked him how Kieran Quilligan was when he was with him. He said he was fine — a bit stoned but fine.” 

This evidence was given today on the second day of the murder trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork. Garda Kevin Roche gave a similar account of this conversation with Luke Taylor.

27-year-old Luke Taylor, formerly of Cherry Lawn, Blackrock, Cork, and 33-year-old Niall Long, formerly of St. Michael’s Close, Mahon, Cork, are on trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork facing the same charge of murder. The murder count which each man denies, states that on a date unknown between September 1, 2023, and January 29, 2024, at an unknown location within the state in the District Court area of Cork City he did murder Kieran Quilligan, contrary to Common Law.

Another conversation with Luke Taylor a month earlier was described today by another garda witness. Garda Stuart Crichton testified that he went to apartments at Jacob’s Island to talk to Luke Taylor on September 8, 2023.

Garda Crichton said:

Before he said anything I noticed he was shaking like a leaf. I asked him why he was shaking so much and he said he suffers from panic attacks.

The witness said Mr Taylor said that on September 1 he walked as far as the white bridge with Kieran Quilligan and did not know where he went after that.

Sergeant Katrine Tansley said she met Niall Long by arrangement at Blackrock garda station on September 19, 2023. Asked if he knew Kieran Quilligan he replied: “I don’t know him, I know of him, I don’t know him, he was one of the people who buys drugs.” 

Asked if there was any issue between himself and Kieran Quilligan he said: “No.” He said he drove his mother’s white Toyota Rav 4 from time to time but could not say if he drove it on September 1, 2023. He said he had a personality disorder and that memory loss was part of that.

The trial continues before Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford and a jury of 10 men and two women.