Jury finds one man guilty of Kieran Quilligan murder, still to decide on second accused
The jury had reached a unanimous verdict finding Niall Long (pictured) guilty of murder.
Niall Long has been found guilty of murdering 47-year-old Kieran Quilligan in Cork over two years ago.
The jury will continue their deliberations in respect of the co-accused, Luke Taylor, tomorrow.
The 10 men and two women of the jury returned at 3.21pm to Courtroom 6 of the Anglesea Street courthouse in Cork where the Central Criminal Court is sitting.
They had reached a unanimous verdict finding 33-year-old Niall Long, formerly of St. Michael’s Close, Mahon, Cork, guilty of murder that on a date 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, 47, contrary to Common Law.
They had deliberated since yesterday for a total of four hours and 47 minutes before reaching one verdict.
Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford asked the jury if they wanted to continue this afternoon and they indicated through the jury foreperson that they wanted to go home and resume at 11am tomorrow.
28-year-old Luke Taylor, formerly of Cherry Lawn, Blackrock, Cork, faces the same charge of murdering Kieran Quilligan — a charge he denies.
Earlier today, minutes after they began to deliberate they asked to see again the evidence given by Dr Margaret Bolster, assistant pathologist. A transcript of this evidence was given to them.
Dr Bolster said in her evidence that while the precise cause of death could not be determined she said the injuries were “consistent with severe assault in the laneway”. Investigating gardaí had informed Dr Bolster of their allegations that he was seriously assaulted on the steps of the laneway at the side of St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral.
Dr Bolster testified that she went to an area known as Whitewell on January 29, 2024, where the skeletal remains were found in a jute bag in a ravine at the side of a road, partly covered by mud and vegetation.
The first thing she saw was the pelvic bone protruding and she said: “The skull was totally separated from the body.” In one small piece of remaining skin, part of a tattoo was visible and it consisted of one word, “mother”.
The pathologist said there were old healed fractures to the remains but there were multiple fractures described as perimortem — occurring close to the time of death. They included several significant skull and facial area fractures as well as numerous rib fractures.
Referring to a femur fracture she found “a circular indentation, suggestive of a blow from a blunt weapon like a hammer”. Later the pathologist referred to other “circular injuries, strongly suggestive of hammer blows”.
Due to the absence of organs because of decomposition it was not possible to give a precise cause of death, but there was no doubt at all but that there was a severe assault, Dr Bolster said.
Cross-examined by Brendan Grehan for the accused man, Luke Taylor, Dr Bolster said there was no evidence of a shooting or of stab wounds.
The pathologist said a cable tie around the left ankle and right shin and two knotted pieces of plastic around the neck were likely to have been used for the purpose of carrying the body. She accepted Mr Grehan’s suggestion that the tied plastics could have been used as a ligature.
On the question of whether there could have been a bag over the head of the deceased, Dr Bolster said: “There is no evidence of that in my opinion, no.”
When they began their deliberations, Ms Justice Lankford said that there were three verdicts open to them in respect of each defendant. They can find him guilty of murder, not guilty of murder, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
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