Olivia Kelleher
A chef has been jailed for life for the murder of a father of three who was found partially dismembered and decapitated on the grounds of a derelict house in Cork.
Last month, a jury found Ionut Cosmin Nicholescu guilty of the murder of Frank Dunne (64) following a trial at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Cork.
The 31-year-old, from Branistea, Damobovita County, Romania, was convicted by a unanimous decision after the jury deliberated for almost eight hours. Nicholescu has no previous convictions.
The three-week trial heard Mr Dunne's head was found in a bag on the grounds of Castlegreine House on the Boreenmanna Road, Cork on December 28th, 2019.
His body was discovered under a tree at the property, while his arms, which had been removed from his body, were "draped over the branch of a tree".
Nicholescu claimed he had stumbled upon two men who had carried out the murder while making his way into the derelict period house in which he was squatting.
Following his arrest in Romania, he told police the two men had made him bag Mr Dunne's remains.
On Friday, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said the evidence at the trial was at times "gruesome" and "distressing" in nature.
Handing down the mandatory life sentence, the judge said Nicholescu had shown "shocking disrespect" to Mr Dunne by not only killing, but also dismembering him. Mr Dunne had been "bludgeoned by a bottle and strangled" until he fell unconscious, the court heard.
The judge stated that although Nicholescu had indicated through his barrister, Philipp Rahn SC, that he accepted the finality of his sentence, he still had not expressed remorse or given an explanation as to what had occurred.
Mr Justice McDermott said it was important to put the focus back on Mr Dunne, who was a much loved father of three, grandfather, sibling and cousin who had "a lot of engagement with his family".
'Better times'
The judge said the victim impact statement painted a clear picture of the difficulties Mr Dunne experienced, but also of the "better times" he had with his family.
"This is an important opportunity to understand and recognise him (Dunne) and what he meant to others."
The judge offered his condolences to Mr Dunne's family and friends.
Nicholescu, who had worked at the Silver Key Pub in Cork city, had fled the State following the murder. He was brought back to Ireland in September 2021 on foot of a European Arrest Warrant.
He has indicated he will not appeal his sentence, which was backdated to when he first entered custody two years ago.
The trial had heard Mr Dunne's body could have remained undiscovered in the bushes of the derelict property if it had not been discovered by local man, Joseph Pierce, who had received a call from his wife worried about their missing cat.
Mr Pierce gave evidence at trial, in which he said he had lived in the area for over twenty years but had never stepped foot in the garden of Castlegreine House until December 28th, 2019, when he was searching for the cat but instead found Mr Dunne's remains.
In a victim impact statement from the Dunne family which was previously read to the court, Mr Dunne was described as a loving father, grandfather, uncle and friend.
The family also expressed their thanks to Mr Pierce, without whom they said they would have been at a loss as to what happened Mr Dunne.
The said they will "forever be haunted" by how Mr Dunne died, adding: "It has affected our sleep and our wellbeing. It is difficult to function normally."
In a statement after the sentencing on Friday, the family also thanked Mr Dunne's second family, referring to those he met in homeless shelters and on the streets of Cork.
"They were their own community. One without their own front door or sometimes even a mattress to lay down on out of the cold."
Prior to his death, Mr Dunne had been residing in a dry house for people suffering from alcohol addiction.
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