Law Weblog

Footballer convicted of killing girlfriend in double jeopardy case

Saturday 23 May 2009 at 11:55 am | In News | Post Comment

This week, Mario Celaire, 31, a former Brentford footballer became the first person to be convicted of a crime for which he had been found not guilty by a jury. He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to manslaughter of his former girlfriend six years after he was cleared of the crime. He also pleaded guilty to attempted murder of a second woman.

He battered to death his former girlfriend 19 year old Cassandra McDermott in 2001. In 2002 a jury -also at the Old Bailey -acquitted him of murder and manslaughter after deliberating for less than three hours.

The double jeopardy rule that prevents anyone from being tried twice was changed in 2005 for cases where there is new and compelling evidence the Court of Appeal can allow another hearing.

In February 2007 he also tried to kill another girlfriend Kara Hoyt also 19, a part-time model, after she found papers relating to the court case at a flat in Walthamstow, East London. He then flew into a rage and struck her on the head with a hammer. She survived and was eventually able to give evidence against him.

Andrea McDermott, 37, described how Celaire had “haunted” the family over the years by turning up at places where he knew they would be.

He will be sentenced on July 3.

Photo of Cassandra McDermott
held by her mother and two sisters

A similar case of R v Dunlop was the first case where a killer was convicted after being found not guilty at trial, but two juries failed to reach a verdict and Dunlop was cleared by the judge.