This article is from page 13 of the 2008-10-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
AN ENNIS man has been jailed for life after pleading guilty to the mur- der of a man in Dublin last year. Michael Downes (42), of no fixed abode but originally from Mar- ian Avenue, Ennis, pleaded guilty to murdering Finbar Dennehy (50), Seafield Road, Clontarf, Dublin, be- tween September 24 and 26, 2007. Detective Sergeant Paul Slattery told the Central Criminal Court last Tuesday that Downes and Mr Den- nehy, both gay men, were previously PYOre UE NUNIKeLO b Downes had travelled to Dublin on the Sunday before the murder and had arranged to meet Mr Dennehy. They socialised and returned to Mr Dennehy’s apartment that evening. The garda said that Mr Dennehy’s body was found in his apartment the following Wednesday. He was “tied up elaborately on the couch, a plastic bag was tied over his head and there was a pool of blood on the floor be-
side him.”
Mr Dennehy died from strangula- tion and a stab wound to the groin.
Downes was arrested in Dublin that Friday. He told gardai that he had been with Mr Dennehy in his apartment the previous Monday and that “a dispute had arisen in relation to sex.”
Downes got a knife from the kitch- en, returned to the living-room and asked Mr Dennehy for cash. Mr Dennehy pushed him and Downes pushed back. He told gardai that there was a struggle and that there was blood on the floor.
The accused told gardai that he tied up Mr Dennehy on the couch, waited in the apartment that night and stran- gled him the following morning.