The State is expected to withdraw a charge against a young Dublin man of murdering one of two elderly psychiatric patients at Grangegorman earlier this year after another man recently made a detailed confession to the killings. Mr Dean Lyons (24), from Tallaght, has been in custody for a month on a charge of murdering Ms Sylvia Shields (59), who was stabbed to death along with another patient at Grangegorman, Ms Mary Callanan (61), last March. Gardai now expect that Mr Lyons may be released this week and charges brought against another young man.
A statement by the second man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is said by Garda sources to contain specific details about the circumstances surrounding the double murder which could not have been gleaned from reading newspaper reports. The man who made the statement is in custody in relation to other serious crimes.
This statement was assessed by senior gardai and a file has been prepared and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who is expected to withdraw the murder charge which was preferred against Mr Lyons a month ago.
Mr Lyons is understood to have made a statement to gardai which was recorded on a video and audio-recording machine. This tape constituted the sole evidence against him, it is understood. He was one of about 200 men questioned about the murder.
However, it is understood that the taped statement makes reference to only one dead woman and it would appear this was why no charge was brought in relation to the killing of the second victim, Ms Callanan.
The new suspect is understood to have offered a confession to the double murder after making a full statement about other serious offences. It is understood he made his statements in their entirety in the presence of a solicitor.
The new suspect lived close to Grangegorman at the time of the double murder and is understood to have described in detail his movements on the evening before the women were killed.
It is understood he told gardai he had left a woman companion in Dublin city centre, walked back towards Stonybatter stopping for drinks, and that he was seized by a compulsion to kill.
He described Ms Callanan's and Ms Shields's home in detail and also spoke of the third woman who lived in the house. He said he considered killing this woman but left without harming her.
Ms Callanan and Ms Shields suffered horrific stab wounds. Ms Shields is believed to have been killed almost instantly by a powerful stab wound to the heart. She was then repeatedly stabbed in the torso and groin. Ms Callanan was killed by several stab wounds, sustaining massive injuries which led to her rapid death.
The third woman who lived in the house slept in a ground-floor room and was uninjured.
Mr Lyons, who is single, unemployed and lives at Castlepark in Tallaght, was questioned by gardai at Tallaght Garda station on July 25th-26th last. He was charged before Dublin District Court on July 27th with murdering Ms Shields at the house at Orchard View, Grangegorman, on March 6th. The court was told that when the charge was put to him, Mr Lyons made no reply. He was granted legal aid and assigned a solicitor. He has remained in prison since.