Nadine Lott: Viciously beaten to death by her ex
Last Night OutOn a cold December evening in 2019, Nadine Lott was celebrating her aunt's birthday at a local pub. Meanwhile, her ex-partner, Daniel Murtagh, was looking after their six-year-old daughter, Kya.
To friends and family, it was an ordinary night. Nobody could have guessed that Murtagh was simply biding his time until Nadine came home to carry out one of the worst assaults Ireland had ever seen.
It’s a case that features in the brand new Crime+Investigation series, Last Night Out. Available from Tuesday, 8th July, the series examines murders and reconstructs the final hours of the victim’s life using texts, CCTV, social media and the voices of loved ones. In this article, we take a closer look at the Nadine Lott case.
A troubled relationship
'Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting Nadine could not help but be touched by her... She was beautiful inside and out, a girl with a huge heart filled with fun and kindness.'
This touching tribute from Nadine's family highlights her vibrant personality. Everyone who knew the 30-year-old model and mother of one remembered her warmth and humour — she was someone whose presence simply made you feel better.
However, as is so often the case with domestic abuse and coercive control, predators, like Murtagh, are attracted to the light. Nadine had, as prosecutors later described it, the 'dreadful misfortune' of meeting him in 2012 while working as a beautician in Darwin, Australia.
The two began a tumultuous relationship, and Nadine fell pregnant — but things were far from perfect. Murtagh showed little interest in fatherhood and spent much of his time drinking and partying. When Nadine returned to Ireland to raise their daughter, Murtagh reluctantly followed.
Signs of coercive control
Signs of abuse aren't always obvious, and they weren't to Nadine's family. Nadine's mum, Claire Lott, later told reporters: 'I can 100% say with certainty that if there had been any violence, Nadine wouldn't have tolerated it. She would never have let him be around her daughter.'
No one suspected Murtagh was capable of murder, but those closest to Nadine knew something was deeply wrong. His aggressive behaviour eventually led to the breakdown of their relationship in 2016.
Despite the split, she was unable to move. 'It was always about control with him,'
The crime
On 14th December 2019, Nadine was celebrating her aunt's birthday at a local pub. Daniel Murtagh had travelled from Dublin to Wicklow that afternoon to look after their six-year-old daughter, Kya.
As the night wore on, Murtagh grew increasingly agitated, texting 'Please come home soon' shortly after midnight and calling at 12:57am and 1:26am. Nadine didn't respond but returned a few hours later at around 3:30am. During this time, Murtagh consumed a cocktail of alcohol and drugs.
What followed next was truly incomprehensible. Murtagh, a former boxer, punched, kicked and attacked Nadine until she was completely unrecognisable.
The arrest
Around 4am, a neighbour heard screaming and banging coming from Nadine's apartment. When she went to investigate, she found Nadine bleeding to death in the living room. She immediately rang emergency services and Nadine's family.
When Gardaí arrived, the first thing they noticed was a 'really intense smell of blood'. The apartment was trashed — furniture overturned, blood splattered across the walls and a barely alive Nadine in the centre of it all. A paramedic described it as one of the most 'horrendous scenes' he had ever witnessed.
Murtagh had fled but was arrested a few hours later after crashing Nadine's car into a ditch near Laragh around 8am.
Despite receiving 42 pints of blood in hospital, over four times the volume in a typical adult body, doctors were unable to save her. Nadine died from her injuries three days later.
The trial
Despite the mountains of evidence against him, Murtagh pleaded guilty to manslaughter, not murder, claiming he was too intoxicated to form intent.
This defence was unanimously rejected by the prosecution and jury, who found that the brutality of the assault clearly showed intent to kill or cause serious harm. In August 2021, Murtagh was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
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