A homeless man has been charged with the murder of an 89-year-old Tipperary pensioner who was found dead in her own home.
09:16, 17 Oct 2025Updated 09:24, 17 Oct 2025
Hasan Ali Gori(Image: Mick O’Neill/Daily Mirror)
A homeless man who previously denied killing a Tipperary pensioner will appear in court later this morning charged with her murder. Prisoner Hasan Ali Gori, who was recently hospitalised for a number of days after being assaulted behind bars, is due to appear before a court this morning, charged over the murder of beloved pensioner Josephine Ray (89).
Ms Ray was found dead in her bed at her home in Nenagh in April 2024. Hasan Ali Gori is in a relationship with Ms Ray’s daughter Mary. The couple had been living with the pensioner in her home before her death.
This paper previously tracked down and spoke to both Gori and Mary Ray, who had been arrested on suspicion of murder before being released without charge. The couple denied any involvement in Josephine’s death at the time.
Gori, who had been living in a tent with Mary since the killing, was subsequently re-arrested earlier this year – and again released without charge before a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. In the interim he was jailed this September after being sentenced to six months for assaulting two members of An Garda Siochana.
In prison Gori was accused of biting a number of prison officers – and was himself subsequently assaulted – and taken to ICU in a serious condition. He has since recovered and was returned to Portlaoise Prison.
This morning he is due to appear before a sitting of Nenagh’s District Court at around 10:30am charged with Ms, Ray’s murder.
Josephine Ray(Image: Irish Mirror )
In a press release gardai said: “A male in his 50s has been charged in relation to the investigation surrounding the death of a woman, whose body was discovered at a residence at St Joseph’s Park, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, on the afternoon of Sunday 4th August 2024. He is due to appear before Nenagh District Court this morning on Friday 17th October 2025 at 10:30 am.”
Speaking to this paper following their arrests in August of last year, Mr Gori and Mary Ray insisted: “We are not murderers We know nothing about it. It’s a false accusation. It was upsetting to be arrested,” he told us. “We are both innocent.”
Mary told us at the time: “I told them (the gardai), they accused me, and I said I didn’t do it. “Why would I do that to my own mother? “I couldn’t do it like. I couldn’t do a thing like that. I loved her.”
Mary told us that she found her mother dead in her bed on the morning of August 4 – and was completely shocked. “It was a surprise. I was very shocked. “I found her that morning. I got up that morning and I was making tea. I went to check on my mother. I left her for a while because I thought she was asleep.
“The blanket was over her mouth and I thought she was sleeping. “The next time I checked on her after a while and I said Jesus. I pulled the blanket back from her mouth and she was just not moving. I was nervous.
“I had said that’s unusual she’s usually up and all that in the mornings. “I asked her Josie do you want a tea and she wasn’t answering me.”
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Both Mary and Gori were arrested on suspicion of murder – and told us they were “shocked” to be accused. “We didn’t do this,” Hasan said. I am not a murderer. We are not murderers. “I did not do that. I swear to God I did not,” Mary added.
He insisted to this paper that he had gone to bed that night and never entered Josephine’s room. “(Gardai arrested me) over Josephine Ray’s murder. I said I don’t know anything. “I did not enter her room,” he said. “I didn’t enter the room of Josephine Ray. She lived downstairs. “I was shocked. Scared. Scared to be arrested,” he said.
Gori claimed to this paper that he discovered the front door of the house was open that morning. “We found the door open in the morning.The door was not locked,” he said.
The pair said they were now both homeless and were wandering the streets – sometimes staying in hostels – but otherwise living in a tent.
In September Gori was jailed to two consecutive three month sentences for assaulting the assault of two gardai during an incident in Nenagh on March 30, 2024. Charges of criminal damage, and producing a 1.5 litre glass bottle as a weapon were taken into consideration in the case.
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