The Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed an appeal by Sligo man Ronnie McManus against his conviction for the manslaughter of a 14-year-old girl.
Ronald Dunbar aka Ronald McManus (45) denied murdering Melissa Mahon between September 14th and 30th, 2006. However he was jailed for life by Mr Justice Barry White after being found guilty of her manslaughter by a Central Criminal Court jury following a 25-day trial in May 2009.
In his appeal, his lawyers contended that the conviction was unsafe and should be set aside on grounds including that original trial judge Mr Justice Barry White had shown evidence of bias against McManus. He claimed that he did not get a fair trial.
At the Four Courts this morning the three-judge court, -comprised of Ms Justice Fidelma Macken presiding sitting with Mr Justice Declan Budd and Mr Justice Daniel O'Keeffe - said that none of the 11 grounds raised in the appeal revealed any errors in law by the trial judge and the conviction was safe.
Delivering the CCA's judgment, Ms Justice Macken said that what was "very detailed" appeal "contained no grounds in which leave ought to be granted."
On that basis she added the court was satisfied to dismiss the Sligo man's appeal against his conviction.
McManus, who has also lodged an appeal against the life sentence he received for killing Melissa, was not present in court this morning.
McManus's trial at heard that he strangled the 14-year-old and dumped her body in a river in Co Sligo. The girl had been in the care of the State, living voluntarily at a care home in Sligo.