Jailed for threatening the principal witness in a pending manslaughter trial

By Sonya McLean

A man who threatened the principal witness in a pending manslaughter trial has been jailed for a year.

Karl Murphy (40) of Whitestown Drive, Blanchardstown, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to witness intimidation of Lyndsey Doyle on September 1, 2023.

The court heard that Murphy and his then partner, Sinead White (39) sent voice notes to Ms Doyle which were played to the court.

Ms Doyle was the key witness in the trial of Keith Smithers (41) and Peter White (40), who had pleaded not guilty to the unlawful killing and robbery of Brian Hogan on January 13, 2023 at Collins Place in Finglas.

Mr Hogan was Ms Doyle’s partner.

She was pregnant at the time of the killing with his child.

Smithers, of Barry Close, Finglas, Dublin 11, was convicted on both charges following a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last June while White, of Casement Drive, Finglas, was acquitted of the unlawful killing of Mr Hogan but convicted of robbing him.

Murphy’s partner at the time, Sinead White, is Peter White’s sister.

Yesterday Aideen Collard BL, prosecuting, read the messages into the record, the first of which was sent by White to Ms Doyle.

She told the woman “I will stab you, you muppet. You lie down for brown. I will beat you around this time, you are getting a hook in the head”.

Counsel said that a male’s voice could be heard in this message, which was sent to Ms Doyle just after midnight on September 1, 2023.

She then received a second voice note from Murphy.

He called the woman an absolute fool and a clown. “Listen when you go to court….the lads have you sorted”.

He told the woman that she “sucks cock for rock” before he threatened to burn down “the gaff”.

Garda John Santry agreed with Ms Collard that the messages referred to the upcoming trial.

Murphy has 66 previous convictions and is currently serving a sentence for burglary which he was on bail for at the time of this offence.

He is due for release for this burglary offence today.

White (39) of Collins Place, Finglas, Dublin 11 pleaded guilty to witness intimidation on September 1, 2023. She was jailed for 21 months in November 2024 by Judge Martin Nolan.

Judge Orla Crowe accepted that this was a once-off incident but said that the voice notes delivered to the woman were “disturbing, menacing, troubling in its tone, vile and derogatory” towards the victim. She said the message also included threats of arson.

She said Ms Doyle was also particularly vulnerable as her partner, had been killed in front of her, she was due to be the “principal witness” in the trial and had just given birth to a baby.

“She has to be commended for the fact that she went to the gardaí immediately,” Judge Crowe said.

 She described the offence “as inexcusable” adding “any interference with the administration of justice has to be taken very seriously by the courts”.

“The gardaí moved with commendable speed,” the judge said adding that Murphy had been arrested on the same day.

She accepted that Murphy had pleaded guilty, expressed remorse and is doing well in custody as he has reduced his methadone intake and is taking courses.

Judge Crowe imposed a sentence of 18 months with the final six months suspended.

A victim impact statement from Ms Doyle was read into the record by Ms Collard.

The woman said that she woke to find these “vile threatening messages” on her phone.

She said she had only given birth and said the messages were a way to intimidate her about giving evidence about her partner who she said had been murdered in front of her.

She said at the time of the messages she was “still grieving”. She had previously recovered from a drug addiction and was worried the messages would cause her to relapse.

“Thankfully they did not send me back down the road of drug abuse,” Ms Doyle said in her statement.

She said that her hope for the future was to live “a peaceful and happy life” with her daughter without any threats or intimidation.

Patrick McCarthy BL, defending, said his client had been suffering a very serious addiction at the time of the offence and had “stupidly” gotten involved when he was intoxicated.

He said he is extremely embarrassed by his behaviour, is extremely apologetic and understands that it is a very serious offence.

Mr McCarthy said his client has been making significant progress in prison and has reduced his methadone.

Smithers was handed a nine year sentence last June while Peter White was jailed for four and a half years.