Murder of Patricia O'Connor


The murder of Patricia O'Connor occurred in Dublin. Patricia O'Connor was an Irish woman whose dismembered remains were found scattered along a road in the Wicklow Mountains in June 2017.

Events

Discovery of remains

On Saturday 10 June at about 19:45 IST two walkers on the Military Road near Enniskerry found human remains. The remains found were a torso and Bray Garda station began investigating. Some 30 km of roads in Wicklow were closed off during the search.
The Garda Water Unit discovered remains near the Glenmacnass Waterfall near to where they had previously found remains. Defence Forces personnel also found remains near Lough Brea Lower.
On Tuesday 13 June a bag containing the head and hands of the deceased were found and limbs were also discovered. Gardaí confirmed the remains are those of an adult woman. A man in his thirties was arrested in Wexford in connection with the remains.
On Wednesday 14 June the deceased was named locally as Patricia O'Connor, a 61 year old resident of Rathfarnham who was reported missing on the second of June.
Her remains were found scattered across 15 locations in the Wicklow Mountains.

Garda announcement

Gardaí believe that she was killed with a blow from a blunt instrument at the end of May during a row in Rathfarnham. They also believe that her remains were dismembered in a field outside Kilmuckridge and buried there in a shallow grave for two days before being disinterred and scattered along the Military Road in Wicklow.

Charges brought

On Thursday 15 June Kieran Greene, a 32-year-old man from Rathfarnham was charged with Patricia O'Connors' murder at Tallaght District Court. He was arrested that morning at Bray Garda station and when charged claimed "it was self defence". Justice Patricia McNamara said that due to the gravity of the charge there would be no bail. She remanded the accused to appear at Clover Hill Court via videolink the following Thursday.
On Thursday 22 June Kieran Greene was charged with the murder and appeared in court via videolink. He spoke only to confirm his name and that he could see the court. Detective Garda David Connolly said they needed formal directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. Judge Victor Blake remanded the accused to appear in court via videolink four weeks later.
On Saturday 2 September a 73-year-old man was arrested in County Meath and two women, aged 19 and 38 were arrested in Dublin. They were held in Bray and Wicklow Garda stations. They were released the following day.
On Tuesday 26 September a 40-year-old man was arrested in Dublin and was held at Bray Garda station.
On October 2018 Augustine O'Connor, husband of the deceased, his daughter Louise O'Connor, her ex-partner Keith Johnson and Louises' daughter Stephanie were charged with impeding the investigation into the murder of Patricia O'Connor.

Trial

On 15 January 2020 Kieran Greene went on trial for the murder of Patricia O'Connor.

Verdicts

On 25 February 2020 Kieran Greene was found guilty of murdering his former partners mother.
On 26 February 2020 Stephanie O'Connor was found guilty of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Greene, knowing or believing him to have murdered Mrs O’Connor on 29 May 2017. The jury accepted the prosecution case that she had disguised herself as her grandmother on 29 May 2017 to conceal her grandmothers death.
On 27 February 2020 Louise O'Connor was found guilty of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Kieran Greene, knowing or believing him to have murdered her mother Patricia O’Connor on May 29, 2017.
On 28 February 2020 Keith Johnston was found guilty of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Kieran Greene, knowing or believing him to have murdered Patricia O’Connor on May 29, 2017. He had denied assisting Greene in buying DIY tools in Woodie’s, Mr Price, B&Q and Shoe Zone, Tallaght on 9 June 2017. The jury accepted the prosecution charge that Johnston had known or suspected that the tools were to be used in the dismemberment of Patricia O'Connors' remains. Johnston was Louise O'Connors' former partner and father to two of her children, including Stephanie O'Connor.

Sentencing

Sentencing was originally scheduled for 20 April 2020, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic it was postponed. The judge proposed that the sentencing should happen on 22 June and that a victim impact statement be received on that date.
A victim impact statement was read by Richard O'Connor, son of Patricia, on 22 June 2020. He said that his ability to trust people had been affected and processing the lies to him had caused him sleepless nights. His children had lost their grandmother and she would not be able to pass on her love of gardening, art, baking and nature to them. The convicted will be sentenced on 26 June 2020.