Limerick
The court heard that there was “no basis for the killing” and that the deceased was “wrongly singled out”.
A MAN HAS pleaded guilty to the commission of the murder of a man who was shot twice at close range and buried in a shallow grave in Limerick in 2010.
Kurt Ryan (33) went on trial at the Central Criminal Court in Cork earlier this month charged with the murder of Lee Slattery at Delmege Estate, Knocknalisheen Road, Limerick, in 2010.
However, Ryan, of Moylish Crescent in Limerick, was re-arraigned in front of the jury of seven women and five men this afternoon.
He pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life on 28 May 2010, at the Delmege Estate. He also pleaded guilty to the commission of a serious offence, namely murder, in association with a criminal organisation.
The particulars of the offence are that Ryan did commit a serious offence, to wit, the murder of Lee Slattery, in association with a criminal organisation. He was 17 at the time of the offence.
Prosecution senior counsel Michael O’Higgins emphasised that the late Lee Slattery was not a member of an organised criminal gang. He told Ms Justice Eileen Creedon that Slattery was “well liked.” He stated that there was “no basis for the killing” adding that the deceased was “wrongly singled out.”
Defence counsel Brian McInerney SC said that it was a valuable plea.
The case was listed for mention in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on 27 October next.
A date for the sentencing hearing will be fixed on that occasion. Ryan was remanded in continuing custody. His attendance is excused on the next court date.
Meanwhile, the jury at the murder trial heard that the body of the deceased was discovered on 31 May 2010. His family had been concerned for his welfare as they had not seen him in four days.
His brother Ray, his uncle and two friends went looking for him on the grounds of Delmege estate. It was once the site of a period house on 80 acres. By 2010 it was in a state of dereliction.
Ray Slattery said they contacted the gardaí when they came upon freshly dug grass, poked around in it with a stick and spotted the fabric of a blue tracksuit similar to the one worn by Lee.
Earlier this week Retired Detective Sgt Shane Curran, who was part of the murder investigation in 2010, said that Slattery was found in a grave on rough ground “face down in a crouched position, knees bent.”
He said that one of the gardaí in the search of the wider area alerted him to an item concealed in a sock close to the roof of a disused outbuilding,
“The sock contained a semi-automatic pistol… a nine millimetre Star model semi-automatic pistol.
Retired state pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy carried out the postmortem on the deceased. She recovered a bullet from his right arm.
Her evidence at the trial was that he died of a gunshot wound which pierced his heart and lungs. She stated that it appeared Slattery was dead when he was put into what was described as a trench. He has two gunshot injuries.
One penetrated the body to cause his death, going through his left arm, continuing into his body, injuring his lung and heart and continuing into his right arm. The other bullet grazed the skin and did not cause internal injuries.
The trial heard that Slattery lived a “stone’s throw” away from the accused. O’Higgins said in his outline of the case that the native of Moyross sold drugs to support his drug habit, whilst Ryan, who was then 17, was also dealing drugs in the area.
Evidence was also heard at the trial that Ryan called to Slattery’s home when he was missing. Ryan said that Slattery owed him €80 for drugs and that he was a bit concerned not to see him around. The killing was reopened by a cold case unit in 2021.