Westmeath mother murdered by own son: Man charged in court

Nebojsa Pap, a Croat residing in Beechville Athlone in Westmeath, Ireland, has been accused of murder by county law at Athlone Garda Station, with senior investigators and Judge Patricia Cronin deeming the man to have killed his own mother on December 28.

Found in marshlands

Mirjana Pap, 58, was found in marshlands at Curraghaleen, just outside Beechville after having been reported as missing two days earlier. Mr Pap was then brought into Mullingar District Court and was remanded in custody with special requests approved that he receive immediate psychiatric and medical attention prior to further action.

Request for accused to receive psychiatric aid accepted

Detective sergeant Kevin Craig told the court that the suspect had ‘no reply’ to the charge handed to him, with Mr Pap’s defence solicitor Mark Cooney ensuring the two requests were made. Nebojsa is currently on social welfare.

The man was seemingly relieved to hear this result, that he will receive significant aid by psychiatric specialists in the aftermath of this horrific incident, which fills all those in Ireland, and the rest of the UK, with a chilling feeling. 

Judge Cronin ordered that the accused would appear via video link at Athlone District Court on January 8, with condolences being widely expressed across Ireland to Ms Pap and her family. A GoFundMe page created to raise funds for the funeral and ‘honour her memory’ has already surpassed over 23,000 euros in donations from over 500 individuals keen to lend a helping hand.

Mirjana Pap was a widow who lived in the area for a number of years, and worked at Athlone Accommodation Centre. Her body was transported to the mortuary at University Hospital Galway for a post-mortem examination by the Deputy State Pathologist.

Family tragedies such as this one are not common to the area of Westmeath, as in September 2022 a mother was charged with the murder of her two children in a car fire. 

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