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Joe O'Reilly, pictured in 2007. Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
appeal

Murderer Joe O'Reilly in fresh court bid for freedom

O’Reilly was granted free legal aid in November 2012 to take a miscarriage of justice case. The DPP will contest that in court today.

THE STATE’S MOTION to strike out an appeal from Joe O’Reilly against his murder conviction will be heard in court today.

O’Reilly – who was convicted in July 2007 of murdering his wife Rachel at their home in north Dublin – is attempting, under Section 2 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993, to have that conviction declared a miscarriage of justice.

The Director of Public Prosecution’s motion to have that thrown out will be heard this morning in the Court of Appeal. 

O’Reilly previously lost an appeal against his murder conviction in 2009 – with Chief Justice John Murray saying its grounds were not well founded.

In August of 2012 another bid for freedom failed, after he attempted to argue that his detention at the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise was unlawful.

He was granted free legal aid in November 2012 to take a miscarriage of justice case by the Court of Criminal Appeal.

O’Reilly is serving life in prison for killing his 30-year-old wife Rachel – who was beaten to death at their home in the Naul in October of 2004.

He has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Read: ‘I would forgive my daughter’s killer…if he’d shown any remorse’

Read: Joe O’Reilly granted free legal aid to appeal case again