29 – The murders of Thomas Murray & life sentences

The small town of Ballygar was shocked when 73 year old bachelor farmer William Mannion was found stabbed to death on his kitchen floor. A local youth was responsible. He was brought to trial, found guilty and received the mandatory life sentence. How was it then, that 17 years later, the same man would be able to kill another elderly resident of Ballygar, Nancy Nolan (84) in a senseless and motiveless crime?

This week, we look at the murders committed by Thomas Murray in East Galway and how life sentences in Ireland don’t really mean life.

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12 – The murders of Colin Ireland: The Gay Slayer

As spring changed to summer in London 1993, a man stalked his prey at the Coleherne Pub in Earls Court. He targeted gay men, particularly those interested in BDSM, as he knew that they were a vulnerable group with poor relations with the policing authorities. Colin Ireland tricked 5 men into taking him back to their homes, where he brutally attacked them. He then waited to hear about his crimes in the paper. Because Colin Ireland killed for no other reason than his desire to make something of himself. His journey for fame and notoriety, to make a mark, cost 5 lives and terrorised the London Gay scene. This is the story of the Gay Slayer.

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1 – The Murder of Elaine O’Hara: A Kink Killing

 

In this, the premiere episode of the Mens Rea Podcast, we take a look at one of the most shocking crimes that captivated Ireland in recent years. Elaine O’Hara was a troubled woman who disappeared in 2012 and was presumed to have committed suicide. A year later, due to a series of coincidences, her body was found. This was now a crime. A man with an appetite for the twisted, Graham Dwyer, was charged and convicted of her murder.

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