logo
Man (39) found guilty of murdering his mother

Man (39) found guilty of murdering his mother

BreakingNews.ie16-05-2025

A jury has convicted a 39-year-old man of murder, rejecting his claim that he was provoked and defending himself from an attack by his ailing 58-year-old mother, whom he strangled and smothered to death in her own home.
Nigel Canavan claimed that stab wounds to each of Angela Canavan's thighs, one of which tracked to 13.5cm in depth, were self-inflicted by his mother.
Advertisement
He claimed that he had acted in self-defence when his mother, who had a brain injury from a fall four years before her death, attacked him by swinging her open hands at him and trying to kick him.
Taking the stand at his Central Criminal Court trial, Canavan further accused his mother of deliberately provoking him by calling him the worst son in the world and saying she wished she had never had him during a heated argument.
The jury of 10 women and two men spent over five hours considering their verdict before rejecting Canavan's self-defence claim. They also rejected the suggestion that his mother's alleged insults so provoked him that he could be found guilty of manslaughter rather than murder.
A pathologist found that besides being strangled and smothered, Ms Canavan had suffered a laceration to the top of her head, bruises to her face, body, arms and legs and three broken ribs.
Advertisement
Some injuries indicated she tried to defend herself from an attack, and bruises to her chest suggested she had been manhandled before her death.
Canavan, with an address at Erris Gardens, Crossmolina, Co Mayo, had 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 will sentence Canavan to the mandatory term of life imprisonment at a sentencing hearing on June 3rd, when Ms Canavan's other son, Keith Canavan, will make a statement to the court.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

BREAKING NEWS Manhunt for 'killer dad' Travis Decker narrows in on remote mountain trail after tip off from hikers
BREAKING NEWS Manhunt for 'killer dad' Travis Decker narrows in on remote mountain trail after tip off from hikers

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

BREAKING NEWS Manhunt for 'killer dad' Travis Decker narrows in on remote mountain trail after tip off from hikers

The search for a father-of-three accused of killing his daughters has narrowed in on a remote mountain trail after hikers tipped off police. Travis Decker, 32, is accused of killing his daughters, Paityn, nine, Evelyn, eight, and Olivia Decker, five, whose bodies were found at a campsite in Leavenworth, after he failed to return them to their mother in Wenatchee following a scheduled three-hour visit. A tip from hikers has given police new hope in honing in on finding Decker alive after witnesses reported spotting a lone person who appeared to be ill-prepared for the conditions. The Chelan County Sheriff's office said Tuesday that tracking teams responded immediately, and a helicopter crew spotted an off-trail hiker on their own near Colchuk Lake, in a popular Cascade Range backpacking area called The Enchantments. As authorities search for Decker, who is believed to be mentally unstable, they warned locals that he could be dangerous due to his military back. 'Residents and visitors are urged to secure homes and vehicles, remain vigilant, and report any suspicious activity to 911,' an alert said. 'A heightened law enforcement presence will persist as a precautionary measure.' Decker joined the Army in 2013, according to the Associated Press. He served in Afghanistan before transferring to the Washington National Guard in 2021, Karina Shagren, communications director for the the Washington Military Department, confirmed to the Daily Mail. He was a full-time member of the Guard until 2023 or 2024, when he switched to part-time. Decker stopped attending mandatory monthly drills a little over a year ago, and the Guard was in the process of a disciplinary discharge. He likely has advanced combat training and was an airborne paratrooper who earned the elite rank of 'Ranger,' indicating he would have excellent wilderness and survival skills, Fox 13 Seattle reported, citing social media posts. It is unknown if the veteran is currently armed, but local law enforcement cautioned people from approaching him. Authorities swarmed the Rock Island Campground on Monday evening after finding Decker's truck. Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from the truck. Police believe the girls died from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents said. Decker's truck also had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were personal items including blankets, food, car seats and a wallet on the center console. The campground also showed signs of recent activity, with a tent and a cooler located a short distance away, but Decker was nowhere to be found. The girls' mother, Whitney Decker, who is divorced from the veteran, told police that he had picked the girls up around 5pm but had not returned them by 8pm, and his phone went straight to voicemail, court documents said. Detectives said she 'expressed concern because Decker reportedly has never done this before and … is currently experiencing some mental health issues.'

Family of tragic Scots dad savagely murdered by ‘cold-blooded' best pal say he should never be freed
Family of tragic Scots dad savagely murdered by ‘cold-blooded' best pal say he should never be freed

The Sun

time3 hours ago

  • The Sun

Family of tragic Scots dad savagely murdered by ‘cold-blooded' best pal say he should never be freed

THE family of a murdered dad have told of their horror at him being killed by a childhood pal who considered himself a 'cousin'. Relatives of Chris McMahon, 31, found it 'unbelievable' that Stephen Kelly stabbed him in the neck and chest with an 18-inch hunting knife. 5 5 5 He also hit Chris on the head with a bottle, stamped on him and poured bleach into his mouth during a 'sustained' 20-minute attack. Chris's devastated mum, Margaret, 69, said: 'Never in a million years did I think Stephen would have done this to Chris. 'He would come to our house all the time. He was always here having his dinner as a wee boy.' Kelly claimed he killed Chris in the dad-of-two's home in Carluke, Lanarkshire, because he was being 'bullied' by him. But the dead man's older brother John, 37, said: 'He's a coward. He's hit Chris with a bottle to knock him out, then sat on top of him and stabbed him, then poured the bleach. 'That's not someone who has snapped because they were bullied. He's a cold-blooded killer.' Sister Kirsty, 41, said: 'There's two little kids here who will never see their daddy again.' Mum Margaret told how Kelly's mother knocked on her door after the brute called her, topless and covered in blood, to tell her what he had done. She said: 'She told me, 'You better call for help'. 'After I found out I couldn't believe she hadn't told me what happened. But then, maybe she couldn't say it.' Stabbing rampage leaves 11 people injured as witnesses describe horror of 'screams & blood everywhere' in Salem Kelly, of Carluke, was caged for 22 years at the High Court in Kilmarnock on May 28. Following the sentence Chris' parents Margaret, 69, and John 76, along with siblings Kirsty, 41 and John, 37, said they were relieved Kelly had been given life. Kirsty added: "It's been an agonising 19 months for our family, and justice has finally been served. But no sentence would ever be long enough because Chris is never coming back." 5 5

Woman ‘beaten to death with mallet by homeless man she took in'
Woman ‘beaten to death with mallet by homeless man she took in'

Telegraph

time4 hours ago

  • Telegraph

Woman ‘beaten to death with mallet by homeless man she took in'

A woman was allegedly battered to death with a mallet by a homeless man she had taken in, a court heard. Victoria Adams, 37, was found dead at her flat in Hammersmith, west London, on Feb 9 after police were called to a report of a man trying to break in to the property in Coulter Road. She was found face down in a bedroom with a black bin bag over her head which was covered by a pillow, the Old Bailey heard. 'Struck with a blunt object' She had suffered at least 10 separate injuries to the back and side of the head from being struck with a blunt object, said Peter Ratliff, prosecuting. Further investigations led to the recovery of a mallet which allegedly had blood and the victim's DNA on it. Apapale Adoum, 39, of no fixed address, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. He was charged with the offence on June 5. It is alleged the victim met him on Feb 6 when he was living in a homeless shelter and had invited him to stay with her but later wrote a note to ask him to leave. On Tuesday, Mr Adoum appeared at the Old Bailey by video-link from Wandsworth Prison for a preliminary hearing and spoke only to confirm him identity. Judge Nigel Lickley KC set a plea hearing for Aug 26 and a provisional three-week trial from March 23 2026. The defendant was remanded into custody.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store