Man whose skeletal remains were found in jute bag suffered multiple fractures to skull and body
Olivia Kelleher
A man whose skeletal remains were found in a jute bag in a ravine at the side of a road in Co Cork had sustained multiple fractures to his skull and body consistent with the use of a hammer-like weapon, a murder trial has heard.
The remains of Kieran Quilligan were discovered after gardaí brought a cadaver dog to Whitewell, Rostellan, Co Cork on January 29th, 2024. The 47-year-old, who was from Togher in Cork city, was last seen alive on September 1st, 2023.
Niall Long (33) and Luke Taylor (27) are on trial in the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork charged with his murder.
On Thursday, the jury heard evidence from Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, who attended at the scene where the remains of Mr Quilligan were found.
Dr Bolster said that that on examination of the jute bag the first thing she saw was the pelvic bone protruding. The skull was separate from the body. She noted that there was a large amount of silt and vegetation.
Dr Bolster subsequently carried out a postmortem examination on Mr Quilligan on January 30th, 2024 at Cork University Hospital.
She said that a cause of death could not be established because decomposition had led to the loss of organs.
However, Dr Bolster stated that what was not at doubt was that the injuries suffered by Mr Quilligan were consistent with a “severe assault". Those injuries included fractures to his ribs, femur, knee, skull and face.
Dr Bolster said that there was a small piece of skin remaining which consisted of a tattoo with the ‘Mother’ and a date. A further inscription was illegible.
Meanwhile, the jury of 10 men and two women also heard evidence today that one of the accused men, Niall Long, had sent a text message to his mother Janice Long on September 2nd, 2023. The message was sent after she texted him saying that the jeep smelled of Dettol.
Sgt Maurice O’Connor said that Mr Long texted his mother back and said that boot of a car was cleaned because “the fella that robbed me got a hiding and was thrown in the boot after".
The case continues on Friday in front of Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford and the jury. The prosecution in the case claim that the accused men killed Mr Quilligan in a “joint enterprise.”
The charge facing both accused is that the murder was carried out on a date unknown between September 1st, 2023 and January 29th, 2024, at an unknown location within the state of the District Court area of Cork city.
Niall Long previously of St Michael’s Close in Mahon in Cork and and Luke Taylor formerly of Cherry Lawn in Blackrock in the city both deny murdering Mr Quilligan.
