'Forever heartbroken': Family of Josie Ray speak out as her killer is jailed for life
Court hears victim impact statement from granddaughter of late Josephine Ray
A granddaughter of Tipperary pensioner Josephine Ray says life for her and her family has not been the same since she was murdered at her home just over two years ago.
A 52-year-old man is beginning a sentence of life imprisonment after he was convicted by a jury of murdering her at her home in Nenagh on August 4, 2024.
Chad national, Hasan Ali Gori was found guilty of the murder by a majority 11-1 verdict on Tuesday, at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Limerick.
After the verdict was delivered, Mr Justice Seán Gillane told the court there was only one sentence he could impose on Mr Ali Gori before handing down the mandatory life sentence, whioch he back-dated to October 17, 2025.
The court heard a litany of witness testimony throughout the three-week trial including from gardai and expert witnesses such as Dr Yvonne McCartney, the state Pathologist who conducted the post-mortem on Ms Ray’s body; Forensic Scientist, Stephen Clifford and paramedics who had attended the scene.
The jury also heard evidence from family members and neighbours of the victim, members of Tipperary County Council and social workers who had liaised with the Ray family in the weeks and months before her death.
It was heard how Mr Ali Gori had been residing at the 89-year-old’s home in St Joseph’s Park in Nenagh, as he was in a relationship with the victim's daughter, Mary Ray who, the court was told, had an intellectual disability.
The jury was informed earlier in the trial that the accused man and Mary Ray had met in Galway in 2014 and had struck up a relationship some three months later when Mary Ray went back to visit him at a Hostel.
The jury were taken back to events that had happened in the years prior to the fatal incident including arguments in the home of Ms Ray where the Gardaí were called.
The court also heard from a daughter of Ms Ray, Sarah Ray who described how her sister and Hasan Ali Gori were always “fighting over everything” and how her mother “wasn’t able for it at all”.
The victim’s daughter Carmel Ray, explained how an affair had led to the separation of her parents Josephine Ray and Patrick. She noted how Mary remained with her mother in St Joseph’s park while the other children went to live with their father.
During her evidence Carmel Ray told the court about the relationship between her mother and Mary Ray and noted how her mother "always protected” Mary Ray before adding: “she knew she needed special care”.
Carmel Ray said her sister was “very kind” and “had a good heart” but could be very easily led.
Audio recording
Evidence presented by the prosecution included a three-hour-long audio recording found on the phone of Mr Ali , transcripts from Garda interviews with the accused and DNA matching Mr Ali Gori, which was found under the fingernails of the victim.
During their closing arguments, the defence counsel instructed by Senior Counsel Aidan Doyle raised the question of where Mary Ray was throughout the trial.
He questioned why she had not been called as a prosecution witness, before noting how there are supports in place for people with intellectual disabilities to give evidence in court.
The defence barrister suggested an alternative and asked: “How do the Guards know Mary didn’t do this?”
The jury of nine men and three women deliberated for a total of eight hours and 52-minutes over the course of four days, before agreeing a majority verdict of 11-1, finding the accused guilty on the charge of murder.
Before a victim impact statement was read to the court and the life sentence handed down, Detective Garda, Margaret Slevin of Nenagh Garda Station detailed to the court how door to door enquires had been conducted, CCTV footage harvested and 186 statements taken over the course of the investigation
Victim impact statement
Rosie O’Brien, a granddaughter of Josephine Ray, then read out a victim impact statement signed by the Ray Family.
She described how her family will be “forever heartbroken” and told the court “Josie was well loved in Nenagh town by everyone. She was the talk of the town in relation to her fashion, her style and her feistiness”.
“To live as long as she did, she did not deserve for her life to end the way it did. We will forever be heartbroken knowing how horrendous Josie’s final moments were,” Ms O’Brien continued.
To live as long as she did, she did not deserve for her life to end the way it did
The court was told how the 89-year-old had ten grandchildren and eight great grandchildren, with the family’s victim impact statement calling her “a real Irish granny” and noting how she was “so kind to all her grandchildren and even all the children in St Joseph’s Park”.
“Josies life came to an end in very tragic circumstance, protecting her family as she always did.
“Her aim in life was to protect her children and unfortunately lost her own life in doing so,” it was heard.
“We will miss Josie and we will always remember her in all our hearts.
“Life has not been the same without the wonderful woman Josephine Josie Ray”, the statement concluded.
Mr Ali Gori made no reaction as the verdict was read out nor when the sentence was handed down, he remained silent throughout before being led away to prison.
Throughout the trial, Josephine Ray was described as a sprightly and formidable pensioner, a mother of five.
She was well known in St Joseph's Park in Nenagh, where she had lived and raised her family since the 1980s.