Man convicted of brutal murder of mum of three in his flat lodges appeal

A MAN convicted of the murder of Nicola Collins (38), who was found brutally beaten in his flat with 125 different injuries, has appealed against his conviction.

Cathal O’Sullivan (45) has lodged appeal papers against his murder conviction before the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork last month.

While no date has been set for the appeal, it is unlikely to be heard before 2020.

O’Sullivan insisted the mother of three suffered the injuries when she fell in the bath in his flat and then when he tried to defend himself after he alleged she lunged at him having consumed cider.

However, Ms Collins’s family said O’Sullivan is a dangerous man, with Irish streets safer now that he is behind bars.

O’Sullivan started a life sentence on November 29 for the brutal murder of Ms Collins on March 27, 2017.

The science graduate was convicted of Ms Collins’s murder by a Central Criminal Court jury following a three-week trial.

The conviction was by unanimous jury decision.

Ms Collins was found with 125 different injuries in O’Sullivan’s flat at Popham’s Road, Farranree, Cork.

She died from a serious head injury due to blunt force trauma.

It emerged during the sentencing hearing that O’Sullivan had subjected a girlfriend to another horrific beating in 2013. He received a three-year suspended sentence for that assault.