Who is Yousef Palani, the man behind the Sligo murders?

Earlier this week, Yousef Palani was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering two men and seriously assaulting a third during a spree of violence in Sligo town in April 2022.

In the space of just two days, Michael Snee and Aidan Moffit were found murdered in their own homes. A third man, Anthony Burke, had been viciously attacked and blinded in one eye a few days earlier.

All three victims were gay men and had met Palani online through a dating app.

The Central Criminal Court heard on Monday that Palani, who pleaded guilty to the murder of both men and causing serious harm to Mr Burke, had committed “unspeakable violence”. The sentencing hearing also heard gardaí believed Palani would have continued to kill had he not been arrested.

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But who is Yousef Palani and what do we now know about why he carried out such horrific crimes against innocent men?

On today’s podcast, presenter Sorcha Pollak speaks to Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher about the Sligo murders that shocked the nation.

We also hear from Anthony Burke, the third victim who survived his encounter with Palani, and who feels let down by how his case was handled.

Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon.