Catherine O'Connor

Overview

Catherine O'Connor pleaded guilty to killing her 42-year-old neighbour John Forrester. She was sentenced to life imprisonment on July 16, 2013 and October 22, 2013. She was a drug addict and was already serving a life sentence handed down after she admitted murdering another man, Jonathan Duke.

Background

Catherine O'Connor was a mum of three and was described as a drug addict. She was 37 years old when she pleaded guilty and was sentenced for the killing of John Forrester.

She was also convicted in connection with the killing of Jonathan Duke, and she was already serving a life sentence for that earlier murder.

The offence

Murder of Jonathan Duke (Bridge House, Bandon, Co Cork)

Jonathan Duke was murdered at Bridge House, Bandon, Co Cork on November 12, 2011. The two defendants lived in a flat at the house. Catherine O'Connor wrapped Jonathan Duke’s body in cable wire and carpet, tied his feet with the belt from her cardigan, and dumped his body in the River Bandon.

After Jonathan Duke’s body was found, it was described as having more than 100 injuries. A ligature was described as being a white electrical cable with a plug attached around his neck. The body was also described as having been strangled by the wire lead of an electrical appliance and by the cord from his own hoodie. His death was described as being by asphyxiation, with blood loss also described as a contributory cause of death. He had a fractured skull, several broken ribs, a broken hip, and lacerations to his head and mouth were also described in the account of John Forrester’s killing; in the Jonathan Duke trial account the focus was on over 100 wounds, including stab wounds probably caused by broken bottles.

Murder of John Forrester

John Forrester died of blunt force trauma and asphyxia. His hyoid bone had been broken and there was bruising to his throat. He also had a fractured skull, several broken ribs, a broken hip and lacerations to his head and mouth. Blood had been mopped up in his flat, and a fingerprint of O’Connor was found in his blood on a broken Man Utd cup. It was established that the jagged edge of this cup and a broken plate had caused head and facial injuries to Mr Forrester. O’Connor’s missing cardigan belt was described as discovered around the victim’s feet. John Forrester’s blood was found on a mobile phone in O’Connor’s flat. On November 13, O’Connor told the couple living in the house’s third flat that she had killed Mr Forrester.

Investigation

The investigation into John Forrester’s death began after another murder investigation led to an investigation into Mr Forrester’s death and the discovery of his body on November 15 that year. A technical examination of Mr Forrester’s flat showed blood had been mopped up.

Det Sgt Fergal Foley told the court about the discovery and the cause of death for John Forrester.

In the Jonathan Duke case, Gardaí were described as receiving a 999 call from witnesses and arriving moments later to find a trail of blood from the front door of the building to flat 3. Gardaí were eventually admitted to flat 3 and met Ciprian Grozavu, who was heavily bloodstained. O’Connor was also present. Grozavu changed his story a number of times as recorded across five memos of interviews with detectives at Bandon Garda Station; ultimately, he admitted he had lied and claimed Catherine O’Connor was responsible and that he was in fear of her.

Det Insp Joe Moore testified that the River was where Jonathan Duke’s body was found after 11pm on Sunday, Nov 13, 2011.

Arrest

Charges connected with Jonathan Duke

Jonathan Duke, 27, was charged as a murder victim. Ciprian Grozavu and Catherine O’Connor were charged with murdering Mr Duke. They appeared before Judge James McNulty at a special sitting of Bandon District Court. Det Garda Michael Brosnan said that when charged with murder, O’Connor replied: “No”. Garda Kieran Murphy said that when similarly charged, Grozavu replied: “I didn't do it”. The defendants sat quietly through the short hearing.

O’Connor was dressed all in black and had a distinctive cross tattooed onto her left cheek.

Grozavu’s solicitor Macaire Adams said he was unemployed and free legal aid was granted by Judge McNulty. Lawyer defending O’Connor, Eddie Burke, was also granted free legal aid in respect of his client. Eddie Burke said she was receiving a disability allowance for several years and was on medication. He asked the judge to inform the Limerick prison authorities that she would need her medicines and asked that she be psychiatrically assessed “as there would be a history of this with her”.

Supt Eddie MacEoin asked that both defendants be remanded in custody and Judge McNulty remanded them both in custody to appear before Bandon District Court on Monday next.

Arrest connected with John Forrester

Det Gda Foley told the court that O’Connor was arrested on suspicion of the murder on January 28 last year and had been in custody since.

Trial

Trial for Jonathan Duke

O’Connor denied the murder of Jonathan Duke. The evidence included statements from witnesses living in a flat on the middle floor of Bridge House, including Shane O’Driscoll and Aaron Nolan.

Shane O’Driscoll recalled:

“There was a lot of banging and roaring for 15 minutes, I heard flat 3 door opening. I heard a lot of bangs coming down the stairs. I thought it was rubbish or something being brought out of the apartment. I was listening by the door. I heard Catherine saying to Chippy, [the witness began to cry, at that stage] I heard Catherine saying to Chippy, ‘Just drag him. He is fucking dead anyway. He can’t feel it’.
“I heard thumps going down every step of the stairs. They just threw him over that railing. Catherine and Chippy both came back. Catherine was laughing. Chippy was howling like a dog.”

Aaron Nolan said:

“They were screaming like animals like they were proud of what they had done.”

Det Insp Moore said gardaí had tried to establish a motive but were unable to do so. He said: “They seemed to be friendly in the days beforehand,” and added: “there had been a lot of drinking going on.”

It was described that, in the two murder trials, their laughter in the courtroom was contrasted with the family’s victim impact statement. Ciprian Grozavu was also described as howling like a dog while O’Connor laughed like a hyena on the day of the murder. Two jury members broke down and wept as Cindy read a victim impact statement. Cindy said: “We will never forget and we will never forgive.” She described him as “the big baby” of the family.

After conviction, the mandatory life sentences were imposed by Mr Justice Paul Carney on O’Connor, aged 37, and Grozavu, aged 39.

The judge’s only question for Det Insp Moore was: “What was this all about?”

Trial for John Forrester

Catherine O’Connor pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to killing her 42-year-old neighbour John Forrester.

Det Sgt Fergal Foley testified about the investigation and medical findings for John Forrester, including blunt force trauma and asphyxia, broken hyoid bone, bruising to the throat, fractured skull, broken ribs, broken hip, and lacerations to the head and mouth.

The court heard that O’Connor’s fingerprint was found in John Forrester’s blood on a broken Man Utd cup, and that the jagged edge of the cup and a broken plate had caused head and facial injuries. The court also heard that O’Connor’s fingerprint was found, her cardigan belt detail was recovered around the victim’s feet, and John Forrester’s blood was found on a mobile phone in her flat.

Sentencing

Sentencing in the Jonathan Duke case

Mr Justice Paul Carney imposed the mandatory life jail sentences on O’Connor, aged 37, and Grozavu, aged 39.

The mandatory life sentence was described as given following O’Connor’s guilty conviction for the murder of Jonathan Duke.

Sentencing in the John Forrester case

Mr Justice Paul Carney handed down the mandatory life sentence after O’Connor pleaded guilty to killing John Forrester.

The status indicates sentencing to life imprisonment on July 16, 2013 and October 22, 2013.

Appeals

No appeals were described.

Outcome

Catherine O’Connor pleaded guilty to killing John Forrester and received a mandatory life sentence. She was already serving a life sentence for murder of Jonathan Duke.

Aftermath

John Forrester’s family were in court for the hearing. Jamie Forrester blasted the killer and said: “We hope she’ll never see the light of day again and be allowed to torture another family like she’s tortured ours.”

In the Jonathan Duke proceedings, it was described that tears were shown in the courtroom following victim impact statements.

Other details

• Catherine O'Connor was described as 35 years old and originally from Kinsale, Co Cork in the report of the charges.
• She was described as having a distinctive cross tattooed onto her left cheek.
• When John Forrester’s body was discovered, he was found dead in the river less than a mile from where Jonathan Duke was found.
• Jonathan Duke had escaped death in June 2009 when he fell from a window in the same block of flats where his murder suspects had been living, and he had been in hospital for six months.
• Jonathan Duke escaped death in June 2009 after falling from a window; his mother Michelle and three sisters were described as devastated, and it was understood his mother was working in the Ho Kee Chinese restaurant just feet away from where her son's body was recovered from the river.
• Jonathan Duke had a seven-year-old daughter.
• Gardaí were described as drafting about 40 officers in to support the double murder investigation including the Garda Dive Team, two forensic units from Dublin and local detectives.
• The alarm was raised on Sunday night when a passer-by reported two people appearing to dump a body in the river.
• Gardaí recovered Jonathan Duke’s body a short while after the alarm was raised at 11pm.
• It was believed there had been a drinking session at the flats, known locally as the O’Callaghan flats, over the weekend.
• Bandon Mayor Sean O’Donovan said: “The occurrence of such a tragedy has sent shockwaves through the town but I am confident that the people of Bandon will rally together and give support where needed.”
• Catherine O'Connor said she had no recollection of what happened after drinking up to four bottles of vodka and consuming a cocktail of sedatives, painkillers and magic mushrooms.
• A GP who examined O’Connor in Bandon Garda Station said she was “laughing hysterically.”
• Garda Kieran Murphy said he saw an Allied Irish Bank ATM card belonging to Jonathan Duke lying beside a pool of blood outside Bridge House.
• Garda Kieran Murphy said he followed a blood trail up the stairs and heard footsteps overhead, then spotted a man and a woman wearing only a vest and underwear; the man slammed the door immediately.
• Garda Kieran Murphy said blood was on the ground, on the walls, and on the landing.
• Garda Kieran Murphy said O’Connor kept interrupting gardaí and was “shouting and abusive,” and that he could see she had blood on her hands.
• Garda Ray Ryan said O’Connor had drink taken and noticed she had blood on her hands and on her feet.
• In cross-examination, Garda Ray Ryan confirmed that O’Connor had told him “she had been taking magic mushrooms.”
• O’Connor was arrested on suspicion of the murder on January 28 last year in relation to John Forrester and had been in custody since.
• Catherine O’Connor was described as having 55 previous convictions, with the most significant dating from July when she was found guilty of murdering Jonathan Duke.