Son pleads guilty to manslaughter of mother in knife attack over nine years ago

A son whose conviction for murdering his mother was overturned by the Supreme Court has pleaded guilty to her manslaughter in a “frenzied knife attack” over nine years ago.

Celyn Eadon (29), of Derrycrieve, Islandeady, Castlebar, Co Mayo on Thursday pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to killing his 46-year-old mother Noreen Kelly at the same address on March 9th, 2011. The court heard his plea was accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Eadon was aged 19 when he killed his mother in the knife attack by stabbing her 19 times. He was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment in February 2014, when a jury of seven men and four women found him guilty of murder by unanimous verdict after two hours and 22 minutes deliberating.

However, the defendant had his conviction for murder overturned in December 2019, when a five-judge Supreme Court ruled that it was unsafe. The court found the trial judge’s instruction to the jury on intoxication and specific intention was inadequate as it had not informed the jury of the “vitally important point” that intoxication can be a partial defence to murder but not to manslaughter.

The DPP had to decide whether to accept Eadon’s manslaughter plea or pursue a retrial on the murder charge. However, the Central Criminal Court was told today that the plea was acceptable to the DPP.

The Supreme Court noted in its judgment that since Eadon was aged 13, he was a significant and persistent abuser of alcohol and drugs, including amphetamines, cocaine and crystal meth. In the 18 months before the killing, he was spending upwards of €400 a week on drugs and drank large quantities of alcohol on a daily basis.

His trial heard that his mother Ms Kelly had taken drugs from her son’s bedroom and burnt them on the evening before she died.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott today remanded Eadon in custody until November 16th, when his sentence hearing is expected to take place.