Jury to continue deliberations in case of man accused of murdering his mother
Nigel Canavan (39) told his trial he acted in self-defence and was provoked by his mother, Angela Canavan (58), who he said told him she wished she'd never had him while assaulting him during a heated argument.
The jury has spent more than four hours over two days considering their verdict. Mr Canavan, with an address at Erris Gardens, Crossmolina, Co Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to his mother's murder at her home in St John's Terrace, Co Sligo on May 1st, 2023.
Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo has told the jury of 10 women and two men there are three possible verdicts: guilty, not guilty, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
READ MORE
Mr Justice Naidoo said murder is made out if the prosecution has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused killed his mother and intended to kill or cause serious harm.
However, the jury should return a verdict of manslaughter if they find that Ms Canavan's actions towards her son were a 'genuinely serious provocation' that caused him to suffer a sudden and total loss of self-control.
Mr Justice Naidoo said the jury must also consider whether Mr Canavan had acted in self-defence. In his testimony to the trial, Mr Canavan said his mother waved a knife at him and tried to attack him with her hands and feet.
State Pathologist Dr SallyAnne Collis detailed bruises to Ms Canavan's face, neck, torso, arms and legs. She also noted a laceration due to blunt force trauma on her head and one of her forearms. She had three fractured ribs and stab wounds to each thigh.
Dr Collis said the cause of death was asphyxiation due to smothering and strangling, and that death would have taken minutes.
Mr Canavan said that his mother stabbed herself in the thighs with a steak knife and suggested the fractured ribs could have been caused by a fall his mother had earlier in the week of her death. He described using his forearm against his mother's neck to push her away and said that she died in his presence.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Man (49) with injuries found dead in Co Tipperary house
A man with a number of injuries has been found dead in a house in Carrick-on-Suir in Co Tipperary early on Monday morning. The man (49) was found by gardaí and family members in a house in the Ravenswood area of the town. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a local GP. Gardaí have begun an investigation. Gardaí immediately cordoned off the area and requested the services of the State Pathologist's office and crime scene examiners from the Garda Technical Bureau. READ MORE Gardaí have begun door-to-door enquiries to try to establish when the man was last seen alive and whether anyone heard any disturbance at the house in the 150-house estate. They have also begun canvassing houses in the area to see whether there is any CCTV footage that would help them identify anyone who may have entered the house. Gardaí say the investigation will be guided by the postmortem that is expected to take place at University Hospital Waterford later today.
Sunday World
2 hours ago
- Sunday World
Electronic data to be analysed in triple murder-suicide probe
Ms Whyte (45) and her two children, James (14) and Sara (13), died from gunshot injuries inflicted at their Maguiresbridge home on July 23 The coffins of murder victims Vanessa Whyte and her children Sara and James Rutledge are carried from St Mary's Church in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh, following a service of removal. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Vanessa Whyte with her children Sara and James Rutledge. Photo: PSNI/PA Northern Ireland authorities believe triple murder suspect Ian Rutledge moved back into the Fermanagh home of his wife Vanessa Whyte and their two teenage children after his family became aware of his deteriorating eyesight. PSNI detectives are investigating whether the suspected triple murder-suicide had been planned in advance by the former truck driver – or whether it was triggered by a dispute in the family home. Ms Whyte (45) and her two children, James (14) and Sara (13), died from gunshot injuries inflicted at their Maguiresbridge home on July 23. The only suspect in the triple shooting, Rutledge (43), was discovered by PSNI officers at the property with gunshot wounds. He died in hospital last Monday from his injuries. The former agricultural contractor had suffered catastrophic brain injuries. He was Ms Whyte's husband and the father of James and Sara. Ian Rutledge A legally held firearm was recovered from the scene. The PSNI believe Rutledge shot his wife and children before turning the firearm on himself. Ms Whyte – who is survived by her mother, Mary, and her siblings, Geraldine, Regina, Anita, Ivor and Stephen – was buried alongside her two children in her native Clare last Saturday. Friends and family hailed her as a kind-hearted and caring individual who was devoted to her family. One friend said that trying to help someone in need was second nature to Ms Whyte. Thousands attended the funeral in Barefield, Co Clare. There were emotional scenes as the three coffins were carried into the Church of the Immaculate Conception, the church where Ms Whyte made her holy communion and confirmation. The University College Dublin veterinary studies graduate had planned to travel back to her native Clare for the August bank holiday weekend with her children to visit her family and attend some Clare hurling championship matches. The only comfort we have is that Vanessa, James and Sara are together and finally safe She was a lifelong Clare hurling fan and attended the 2024 All-Ireland final with her children. The funeral had guards of honour from GAA clubs in Clare, Galway and Fermanagh. Ms Whyte's sister, Regina, said she had been taken from the world and her loving children in a cruel and vicious manner. 'For us, as a family, the only comfort we have is that Vanessa, James and Sara are together and finally safe,' she said. The coffins of murder victims Vanessa Whyte and her children Sara and James Rutledge are carried from St Mary's Church in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh, following a service of removal. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire The Bishop of Ferns, Ger Nash, who was previously a cleric in Killaloe, noted that the Whyte family had asked people to wear bright colours in tribute to Ms Whyte and her two children. Outside the church, three flagpoles had the Irish, Clare and St Joseph's- Doora Barefield colours flying at half mast. Dozens of balloons in the saffron and blue colours of Clare surrounded the three coffins, with Ms Whyte's coffin covered by the maroon and white colours of St Joseph's-Doora Barefield, the club her late father and two brothers proudly played for. 'We need that light,' Bishop Nash said. He told mourners that darkness cannot overcome light for those of faith. 'It is hinted at in the bright colours that Vanessa, James and Sara's family have asked people to wear.' 'The darkness will not conquer.' Dozens of mourners attended from Fermanagh, where a special memorial service for the mother and children was held last Wednesday evening. The PSNI are now trawling through all electronic data from mobile phones and computers to determine the precise sequence of events that led to the deaths. Detectives are aware that Rutledge had been experiencing depression over recent weeks and months.
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
E-scooter driver dies following late-night collision
A man in his 30s has died following a collision between his electric scooter and a car in Dublin on Sunday night. Gardaí said they attended the scene of the two-vehicle collision, which occurred at about 10.50pm on the Old Navan Road in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. The e-scooter driver was taken to James Connolly Hospital where he was pronounced dead. No other injuries have been reported. A Garda spokesperson appealed for witnesses or anyone with camera footage of the area at the time to come forward. READ MORE The road was closed for a period for examination but has since reopened.
