Melissa Mahon Court Case

TequilaMockingBird

Witness tells court of Mahon pregnancy claim
Thursday, 23 April 2009 16:04

The ex-girlfriend of a man accused of murdering 14-year-old Sligo schoolgirl Melissa Mahon has told the Central Criminal Court that she had been told the teenager was made pregnant by him.

Angelique Sheridan also told the court that Mr Dunbar had a plan to kill Melissa.

Ronald McManus, also know as Ronnie Dunbar, of Rathbraughan Park, Sligo denies murdering Melissa Mahon in September 2006.
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Angelique Sheridan said she dated Mr Dunbar for a number of weeks around the time of Melissa's disappearance.

She said the teenager was troubled and believed she was a reincarnation of Cleopatra.

Ms Sheridan said Melissa had told her that she believed she and Ronnie Dunbar had been married in a previous life. She had also been told the girl was infatuated with him.

The court was told she also helped to take Melissa to see a social worker and said Ronnie Dunbar had taken the girl to and from her flat in the boot of his car.

Ms Sheridan said had heard Mr Dunbar tell gardaí he did not know where Melissa was at the time, when she knew Melissa was in his house.

When she challenged him on it he said he did not want her to be sent back to her parents against whom she had made allegations of abuse.

Ms Sheridan said it was suggested to Mr Dunbar that he could go to jail for not disclosing where Melissa was. He said he would kill her instead.

Ms Sheridan said after Melissa's disappearance she told gardaí that the girl was at Ronnie Dunbar's house and that there was something wrong.

She said she was concerned for the welfare of Melissa and Ronnie Dunbar's daughters and was terrified of Mr Dunbar.

In cross examination she denied that her evidence that he had a plan to kill Melissa was a figment of her imagination.

She said at one stage Ronnie Dunbar had told her that Melissa 'had something in her' but that he had got it out or exorcised it.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0423/mahonm.html

Old threads here:

Missing - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055231069&highlight=melissa+mahon

Arrest - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055272902&highlight=melissa+mahon

Every national news service in Ireland has this on their online front page. Except our local rags.

bobcar61

I didn't realise she was pregnant with his child until I heard it on the radio today. Hope he gets what he deserves.

leitrim lad

life wouldnt be enough for someone like that

he deserves evetything thats coming to him

TequilaMockingBird

Innocent until proven guilty, and obviously, these are our opinions, not those of Boards.ie




/cough

Big_Mac

bobcar61 wrote: »

I didn't realise she was pregnant with his child until I heard it on the radio today. Hope he gets what he deserves.

Here here. Good enough for the sick fuck!

It shockin the nonsense that went one with this case, and the fact that no one did anything about it. Yet another shining example of our government protecting those most in need

TequilaMockingBird

The lack of care, by so many people, is heartbreaking.

Big_Mac

I agree. It reminds me of the place I work. Nothing is done about anything at things happen and managment trundle along blindly and blissfully. All of a sudden something happens and there are RCA's and investigations and all sorts done to make people feel important....

Why is it that these things are always done after the fact? when its too late?

slapbangwhallop

I am just surprised that it took so long to come out - there was a lot of "chatter" on "da streets" months before it all came out.

starbelgrade

slapbangwhallop wrote: »

I am just surprised that it took so long to come out - there was a lot of "chatter" on "da streets" months before it all came out.

A lot of mad sh*t happens behind closed doors.

One thing that bugs me is this bit... "Ronald McManus, also know as Ronnie Dunbar"..

What's that all about? Why has he got two names?

bobcar61

It's like the way some people have nicknames or just some other random names that just stick and the person gets called that by everyone.

Xiney

starbelgrade wrote: »

A lot of mad sh*t happens behind closed doors.

One thing that bugs me is this bit... "Ronald McManus, also know as Ronnie Dunbar"..

What's that all about? Why has he got two names?

I'm theorizing his legal name is McManus from his biological father and Dunbar is his mother's name so when Daddy ran out on the family Dunbar became his name too but not legally.


As for the case... it's always been a sad and shocking one... she's gone now so even if the courts get to the bottom of it, it won't truly matter. Revenge is only a consolation prize.

rio-rose

i totally agree with tequilla, innocent untill proven guilty,

but can someone clear this comment i heard 2day,

did he bring his children with him to parkes castle to dump something into the lake, and then just normally bring them to a football match..

and if this is so, they were old enough to know something was very wrong goin on

i know they wouldn say anything about their dad to police

bobcar61

Was it not something with the social worker or someone like that and he demanded that she go in his car. I heard it on the news but sort of phased out and didn't pay too much attention to it.

TequilaMockingBird

rio-rose wrote: »

i totally agree with tequilla, innocent untill proven guilty,

but can someone clear this comment i heard 2day,

did he bring his children with him to parkes castle to dump something into the lake, and then just normally bring them to a football match..

and if this is so, they were old enough to know something was very wrong goin on

i know they wouldn say anything about their dad to police

Yes, according to a news report I heard, he brought a daughter to football after going to the lake. Allegedly.

I heard this on Ocean FM and can try to find a link if needed.

Shabbah

Xiney wrote: »

I'm theorizing his legal name is McManus from his biological father and Dunbar is his mother's name so when Daddy ran out on the family Dunbar became his name too but not legally.

As far as I know Daddy didn't run anywhere. Mothers maiden name is McManus, father is Dunbar. By all accounts, on the whole, a lovely decent big-hearted family. As much as I feel sorry for anyone that truly cared for and loved Melissa, I also have alot of sympathy for (most of) the Dunbar family, who have not had it easy over the years, with several tragedies to cope with as well as dealing with another criminal son. For that poor mother to go through this now, is just horrific and my heart goes out to her. She doesn't deserve it. Melissa didn't deserve to die either, no matter what "sort" of a little girl she was...and justice needs to be served, but there are so many victims in the whole situation it's very saddening.

Innocent indeed, until proven guilty! I've never met Ronnie Dunbar personally but have heard accounts of people who have known him to be an articulate and friendly man, that's all I know. But if he's as intelligent as they say, it will be very interesting to listen to his defence story, see if it indeed sounds believeable, or if he trips himself up along the way.

Also, somebody "said" that Melissa "said" she was 3 months pregnant to Ronnie Dunbar. She was also, allegedly, infatuated with him. I've known wayward or disturbed teenagers to be compulsive liars about such things I'm not defending anyone or accusing Melissa of anything, I'm just saying there's two sides to every story. And I did hear before that Melissa was pregnant. Has there been any solid evidence of this I wonder? Apart from he said/she said?!

Xiney

Very true Shabbah - it isn't just the victim's family that suffers in these cases.

It can be just as hard for the accused's family, and they don't generally get much sympathy.

Sesheta

The claims that Melissa was pregnant have so far only come from one witness and then as third hand information. We'll have to wait until the forensic evidence to see if there's any proof of that one way or the other.
Also apparently Dunbar was the name he went by until he entered a witness protection programme in the UK when he switched to his mother's maiden name.

artyeva

Sesheta wrote: »

Also apparently Dunbar was the name he went by until he entered a witness protection programme in the UK when he switched to his mother's maiden name.

OK - that clinches it - he IS the same Ronnie Dunbar I knew years ago.... wasn't sure as he looked very different then but I shall not comment further until the trial is over....

slapbangwhallop

artyeva wrote: »

OK - that clinches it - he IS the same Ronnie Dunbar I knew years ago.... wasn't sure as he looked very different then but I shall not comment further until the trial is over....

He has only ever been known as Ronnie Dunbar as far as I know.The first mention of "Ronald McManus" that I heard was when the articles about this case started.

TequilaMockingBird

He's been convicted of manslaughter.

redarmyblues

Pretty suprised at the verdict, hard to see how the jury could decide that McManus had killed Melissa without intending to do so or without intending to cause serious harm. I suppose that they were unable to reach a verdict and compromised. The law can be a lottery and jurries can reach very suprising conclusions.

The judge is in a pickle he will want to impose a life sentence but he may be constrained by the O Donohoe case.

IvyTheTerrible

mrbonker wrote: »

Jury day 3 possible stories to deal with. the one finally decided to be the trouth had dunbar restraining an out of controle milissa which led to her death. it was felt that it was not premeditated despite the statement of miss de poix. really hard case. wouldnt want to do it again.

I didn't realise jury members are allowed to discuss their cases in public?

starbelgrade

redarmyblues wrote: »

Pretty suprised at the verdict, hard to see how the jury could decide that McManus had killed Melissa without intending to do so or without intending to cause serious harm. I suppose that they were unable to reach a verdict and compromised. The law can be a lottery and jurries can reach very suprising conclusions.

It's not really a suspect verdict when you look at it - McManus was on trial for murder. On reaching their verdict, the jury had to decided without any reasonable doubt, that the killing was pre-meditated.

As there was little doubt that he killed her, but some doubt that he'd planned to kill her, then the "lesser" charge of manslaughter has to apply.

redarmyblues

This is the first case in my memory where the accused admitted no hand act or part in the killing and the jury brought in a manslaughter verdict.

Sheepy99

as with him and people like him bin laden i reckon they torture him...

cronndiesel

what was he in the uk witness protection programme for???

txomin

He got shot for standing up to drug dealers while living in London, and was put on witness protection, apparantly.

97i9y3941

McManus gets life for killing teenager
Friday, 10 July 2009 11:11

Ronald McManus has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the manslaughter of Melissa Mahon in September 2006.

The 44-year-old had been accused of murdering the 14-year-old, but was found guilty of her manslaughter in May.

Mr Justice Barry White said McManus, also known as Ronnie Dunbar of Rathbraughan Park in Sligo, had preyed upon the teenager's vulnerability and fragility.
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He said McManus disposed of her body in a manner not befitting an animal after taking her life.

Justice White said throughout the trial, McManus was disdainful, scornful and bordering on contemptuous of his surroundings.

He said there were no mitigating factors and that McManus had never apologised or shown any remorse.


Story from RTÉ News:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0710/mahonm.html

TequilaMockingBird

Good riddance.

Here's hoping there's lots of teenage girls dads in there with him.

JupiterKid

He got exactly what he deserved. McManus was a scumbag of the highest order - preying on the vulnerability of a neglected, frightened and confused young girl - only a child really.

I don't think much of Melissa's family either to allow the entire sordid situation to happen in the first place.:mad:

SligoBrewer

redarmyblues wrote: »

The judge is in a pickle he will want to impose a life sentence but he may be constrained by the O Donohoe case.

The differences between this and the O'Donohue case were vast in fairness.

Daroxtar

txomin wrote: »

He got shot for standing up to drug dealers while living in London, and was put on witness protection, apparantly.

He got shot by his fellow drug dealers when a deal went sour and he ratted them out to save his own skin. This piece of excrement might have come from a decent family but he himself was the lowest form of filth and no amount of portraying him as a victim of society will cover up the fact that he killed a child and dumped her body like it was a piece of rubbish. I see he also has a string of charges of sexual assault being brought against him now. He's a fukin dirt bag and i hope he rots in jail.

/my 2 cents

redarmyblues

SligoBrewer wrote: »

The differences between this and the O'Donohue case were vast in fairness.

I didn't compare the cases, I said the judge will want to impose a life sentence which he did, but that the O Donohoe case could prove a problem. Grehan brought it up at the sentencing hearing and it will be introduced at Dunbar's appeal against the severity of his sentence.

TequilaMockingBird

What happens if he is convicted of the further allegations of child sexual assault? Would the sentences run concurrently, or added on to his current sentance?

redarmyblues

You can't add on to a life sentence, obviously it would affect a parole application.

blackiebest

OK. I am not really juanpablo but a regular enough poster in 'Sligo'. I am delighted he got life, its no less than he deserves BUT he did not kill Melissa. He is guilty of everything else mentioned and a lot more that was not but there is a wider cauldron of sh1t going on there! I am not posting under my usual handle as some of you could know me and I do not want to bring any grief upon myself, mods please excuse. I will not say who I think did end Melissa's life but many people know it was not the scum that was convicted of her manslaughter. The full facts of the case will never emerge but her killer(s) walk down O'Connell street today!

Side note, the Dunbar family are for the most part the soundest of people and I feel as much sympathy for them as the poor child who was dumped in the Bonet.

Radharc na Sleibhte

That's the word on the street but only 3 people know what really happened.

Radharc na Sleibhte

JupiterKid wrote: »

I don't think much of Melissa's family either to allow the entire sordid situation to happen in the first place.:mad:

I doubt very much they care what you or anyone else thinks of them.

redarmyblues

juanpablo wrote: »

OK. I am not really juanpablo but a regular enough poster in 'Sligo'. I am delighted he got life, its no less than he deserves BUT he did not kill Melissa. He is guilty of everything else mentioned and a lot more that was not but there is a wider cauldron of sh1t going on there! I am not posting under my usual handle as some of you could know me and I do not want to bring any grief upon myself, mods please excuse. I will not say who I think did end Melissa's life but many people know it was not the scum that was convicted of her manslaughter. The full facts of the case will never emerge but her killer(s) walk down O'Connell street today!

Side note, the Dunbar family are for the most part the soundest of people and I feel as much sympathy for them as the poor child who was dumped in the Bonet.

I do not think it is useful to engage in rumour, conjecture and supposition here. You of all people in whatever incarnation you choose to post ought to know that, and I thinking it is pretty galling of you to rely on local gossip to assert that Ronnie Dunbar is not responsible for her death.

Essexboy

Let's face it. We are dealing with the "lumpenproletariat" as Marx called them here - the 'refuse of all classes,' including 'swindlers, confidence tricksters, brothel-keepers, rag-and-bone merchants, beggars, and other flotsam of society.'

blackiebest

Essexboy wrote: »

Let's face it. We are dealing with the "lumpenproletariat" as Marx called them here - the 'refuse of all classes,' including 'swindlers, confidence tricksters, brothel-keepers, rag-and-bone merchants, beggars, and other flotsam of society.'

Definately post of the thread