Sick murderer Dwyer sends letters begging pals to believe he's innocent

Despite his protestations in correspondence from behind bars, they have abandoned him in droves and he has been palling around with the murderers and rapists of the E3 landing of Midlands Prison.

Dwyer (42), originally from Bandon, Co Cork, was caged for life earlier this year for the murder of child-minder Elaine O'Hara (36).

The Herald has learned that Dwyer has been waging a letter-writing campaign from prison to assure Dublin and Cork friends of his innocence.

He has been working from his prison cell, confidently predicting that his murder conviction will be overturned.

Despite this, multiple friends, associates and former colleagues of have cut all links with him with only a handful of acquaintances still communicating with the convicted murderer.

"They don't want to be associated with Graham. Not after all the shocking stuff that was in the trial," a Bandon source said.

Dwyer has built up close friendships with two other criminals who are considered among the country's worst offenders.

Sources said that in recent weeks Dwyer has been spotted "chatting and joking" with serial killer Mark Nash (42) and rapist Michael Murray (44).

The three violent prisoners are all based on the E3 landing and they "peacefully co-exist".

Nash is serving life for four savage murders while Murray is serving a 15-year prison term for tying up and repeatedly raping a mother.

"Their cells are all close together and the three of them are in regular conversations," a source said.

When not chatting with his jail pals, Dwyer spends much of his days in computer classes or reading books in his single cell.

"He does not look for any hassle and he seems to have settled well into prison life," the source added.

The architect's Cork-based family remains steadfastly loyal and has been visiting him in prison.

Dwyer, of Kerrymount Close, Foxrock, Dublin, was convicted of murdering Ms O'Hara on August 22, 2012.

Her skeletal remains were found on Killakee Mountain, Rathfarnham, Dublin, on September 13, 2013.

Sexual

The trial last March ranked as one of the most high-profile murder trials in Irish judicial history.

After a marathon hearing, the Central Criminal Court jury convicted Dwyer of stabbing Ms O'Hara to death for his own sexual gratification.

His appeal will now centre on a number of forensic, evidential and technical issues.

These include how gardai obtained evidence from a bin outside his home, the admissibility of key material obtained from Ms O'Hara's IT devices and the impact of allowing video recordings, some of it involving violent sexual activity, to be viewed by the jury.