Catherine Nevin
Encyclopedia
Catherine Nevin is an Irish
woman who was convicted in 2000 of murdering her husband Tom Nevin at Jack White's Inn, a pub owned by the couple in County Wicklow
. The jury
in her trial also found her guilty on three charges of soliciting others to kill him after five days of deliberation
, then the longest period of deliberation in the history of the Irish State
. Nevin was the subject of significant coverage by the tabloid press and Justice Mella Carroll
ordered a ban on the press commenting on Nevin's appearance or demeanour during the trial.
Doubts have been raised about the safety of Nevin's conviction and her lawyers say that she was the victim of a miscarriage of justice
.
, Dublin. In 1986, they opened Jack White's Inn.
while counting the day's takings in Jack White's pub near Brittas Bay
in County Wicklow. According to Catherine Nevin, she was woken by someone pressing her face into a pillow. She said: "It was a man shouting: 'f**king jewellery, f**king kill ya'. He had a knife in his left hand. Everything in the room was coming down around." IR£13,000 was taken from the pub, and the Nevins' car was stolen and was found abandoned in Dublin.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
woman who was convicted in 2000 of murdering her husband Tom Nevin at Jack White's Inn, a pub owned by the couple in County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
in her trial also found her guilty on three charges of soliciting others to kill him after five days of deliberation
Deliberation
Deliberation is a process of thoughtfully weighing options, usually prior to voting. In legal settings a jury famously uses deliberation because it is given specific options, like guilty or not guilty, along with information and arguments to evaluate. Deliberation emphasizes the use of logic and...
, then the longest period of deliberation in the history of the Irish State
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Nevin was the subject of significant coverage by the tabloid press and Justice Mella Carroll
Mella Carroll
Mella Elizabeth Laurie Carroll was a judge of the High Court in the Republic of Ireland.Mella Carroll was born in Dublin, her parents were Patrick Carroll and Agnes Mary Caulfield...
ordered a ban on the press commenting on Nevin's appearance or demeanour during the trial.
Doubts have been raised about the safety of Nevin's conviction and her lawyers say that she was the victim of a miscarriage of justice
Miscarriage of justice
A miscarriage of justice primarily is the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. The term can also apply to errors in the other direction—"errors of impunity", and to civil cases. Most criminal justice systems have some means to overturn, or "quash", a wrongful...
.
Early life
Catherine Scully met Tom Nevin in Dublin in 1970 and they were married in Rome in 1976. Within ten years, they owned two houses and managed a pub in FinglasFinglas
-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland* List of abbeys and priories in Ireland...
, Dublin. In 1986, they opened Jack White's Inn.
Murder of Tom Nevin
On 19 March 1996, Tom Nevin was killed with a shot from a nine pellet shotgunShotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
while counting the day's takings in Jack White's pub near Brittas Bay
Brittas Bay
Brittas Bay Coastcare Group Brittas Bay in County Wicklow, Ireland is a 4 km stretch of beach on the Irish Sea coast. The beach is accessed from the R750 regional road which runs parallel to the beach, separated from it by extensive areas of sand dunes...
in County Wicklow. According to Catherine Nevin, she was woken by someone pressing her face into a pillow. She said: "It was a man shouting: 'f**king jewellery, f**king kill ya'. He had a knife in his left hand. Everything in the room was coming down around." IR£13,000 was taken from the pub, and the Nevins' car was stolen and was found abandoned in Dublin.