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Mens Rea: A true crime podcast

134 - A Question of Self Defence: The murder of Leslie Kenny

Mens Rea: A true crime podcast

GoLoud

Society & Culture

4.71.4K Ratings

🗓️ 19 September 2023

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Just after 10am, on Wednesday the 29th July 2008, shots rang out on a busy residential road in Kilrush, Co Clare. Two men who lived on the street, Leslie Kenny and Brendan O'Sullivan, had exchanged words, and by the end of that interaction, one of them was lying dead in a front garden.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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Theme Music:

Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additional Music:   Allemande (Sting) by Wahneta Meixsell. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Sources:

DPP V Brendan O’Sullivan appeal document

“20 months in jail for heroin addict”, Irish Independent, Oct 4th 2003

Gordon Deegan, “Widespread heroin use may increase in Clare”, Clare Champion, Oct 10th 2003

Gordon Deegan, “Man faces charge over threatening behaviour in court case”, Irish Independent, Sep 29th 2005

Gordon Deegan, “Man charged after disturbance forced judge to suspend court”, Irish Examiner, Sep 29th 2005

For a full list of sources, please see mensreapod.com

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This is domicile cologne with an urgent appeal for UNICEF.

0:04.1

Children's lives have been devastated by the floods in Libya.

0:07.8

They are fighting for their lives.

0:09.7

They urgently need medical supplies, warm blankets and food.

0:14.4

Please visit UNICEF.re to donate today and help save a child's life.

0:19.4

Thank you.

0:21.0

You're listening to the mens rea podcast and this is the story of Leslie Kenney.

1:00.0

Killrush is a coastal market town situated at the mouth of the river Shannon and County Clare.

1:06.0

Its location along the Shannon estuary has given the busy town a rich maritime history,

1:11.3

and this, combined with Killrush's remarkably preserved historic architecture,

1:16.1

led to its designation as one of Ireland's 15 heritage towns.

1:20.6

Despite this, the town has unfortunately had its fair share of addiction issues and social problems,

1:26.8

which began to escalate at the turn of the millennium,

1:29.6

giving rise to increased levels of petty crime and drug-related offenses.

1:35.1

Shortly after 10am on Wednesday 29 July 2008, a call was made to Killrush Garda Station,

1:42.2

a better row that was taking place at O'Gorman Street in the town.

1:46.0

When officers arrived to investigate, they found a man lying face up against the wall of a front

1:51.4

garden having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a local GP

1:58.0

at 10.53am and a priest was summoned to administer the last rights.

2:04.0

The dead man was known to Gardy and was quickly identified as 27-year-old Leslie Kenney.

2:10.3

Also at the scene was 24-year-old Brendan O'Sullivan who lived in the house attached to the garden

2:15.6

where Leslie's body was found. O'Sullivan lived with his wife Clare and the couple's two young

...

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