Victim of assault by murderer alleges garda incompetence

A woman who was attacked by the man who went on to murder Sylvia Roche-Kelly in Limerick in December 2007 claims Sylvia is dead because her case was not handled properly by the Gardaí.
Taxi driver Mary Lynch was assaulted by Jerry McGrath in Virginia in Co. Cavan in April 2007.
Following the assault, McGrath was released on station bail.
He went on to try and kidnap a 5-year-old girl in Tipperary in October of that year, before murdering Sylvia Roche-Kelly in the Clarion Hotel in December.
Mary Lynch says she repeatedly contacted gardaí in Baileboro to arrange to give a Victim Impact Statement – but never got the chance.
By the time she lodged a complaint with the Garda Ombudsman, it was out of date and she says she has to live with the guilt.
“I fell guilty about it, because it started with my case – and because my case wasn’t handled properly this woman is dead” she said.
“This is not ‘guard-bashing’, because I know an awful lot of very god men in the force that are trying to do their job – but if they don’t have proper leadership, they give up” she added.