The prosecuting barrister in the ‘Mr Moonlight’ murder trial has strongly challenged Patrick Quirke’s contention that he didn’t get a fair trial.
Quirke, a 52-year-old farmer from Breanshamore, Co Tipperary, is appealing his conviction for murdering his love rival in 2011.
Patrick Quirke was convicted last year of murdering Bobby Ryan (also known as ‘Mr Moonlight’), a local DJ who was in a relationship with Quirke’s former lover, Mary Lowry.
His lawyers are looking to overturn that conviction, claiming he didnt receive a satisfactory trial.
One of their main grounds of appeal is their claim that certain pieces of evidence shouldn’t have gone to the jury because its prejuducial nature far outweighed its probative value.
In response today, prosecuting barrister Michael Bowman, defended the judge’s decision to allow the evidence in. He said she made sixty rulings during the trial, often on the most minute details.
He said it was beyond argument that the judge was aware of duty and had the discretion to exclude the evidence if she saw fit.
