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The trial of Jim Mansfield Jnr, accused of grooming an employee to be taken prisoner by a gang, has been postponed in Special Criminal Court for nearly six months.
This is the second postponement of the trial, and the case was previously postponed for several weeks on November 19 after the defense requested time to view the recently revealed CCTV footage.
Last month, Shane Costelloe SC, on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecution, alleged that gardaí had only learned that a significant proportion of the CCTV images retained on a hard drive had never been disclosed to the State.
The defense said it was equivalent to 12 days of CCTV footage and that the case should not continue until they had a chance to view the footage. The three-judge court ruled that the trial would be postponed until December 15.
When the trial resumed Tuesday before a non-jury court, defense attorney Bernard Condon SC said there had been delays in delivering the recently disclosed CCTV footage to the defense and asked for a further postponement to view the footage. , which was accessed.
Significant piece
Additionally, Mr. Condon said that a “very important piece” of the CCTV footage was only released to the defense last week despite the fact that Martin Byrne’s questioning had concluded.
The court ruled that Mr. Condon would be given another chance to ask Martin Byrne more questions when he is returned to jurisdiction in June.
Following evidence from two Garda witnesses on Wednesday, Mr. Costelloe informed the three-judge court that this was how far the state could handle the case and that it would take two more weeks to complete the trial.
Judge Sinéad Ní Chulacháin reminded lawyers for both parties that the case had originally been on the list for three weeks, when it began on October 23.
The attorneys and the three-judge panel reviewed the Special Criminal Court journal as well as attorneys’ schedules for the next several months and the next suitable date available to all parties was June 2.
Judge Alexander Owens presiding, seated with Judge Ní Chulacháin and Judge James Faughnan, postponed the trial until June 2. It is included for your mention in early January.
Martin Byrne (53) has testified that Mr. Mansfield Jr. was “a couple of feet away” when he was taken prisoner by the gang of men, which included former INLA member Dessie O’Hare and former Republican paramilitary Declan Duffy, after a meeting in a warehouse in Keatings Park in West Dublin. In his testimony, Byrne said he believed Mansfield Jr. had set him up.
Martin Byrne is now in the Witness Protection Program along with his wife Lisa Byrne and their son Brandon Byrne (24).
Mr. Mansfield Jnr (53), of Tasaggart House, Garters Lane, Saggart, Co Dublin, is charged with conspiring with one or more persons to falsely incarcerate Martin Byrne on an unknown date between January 1, 2015 and January 30 June 2015, both dates. inclusive.
He is also charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by ordering Patrick Byrne to destroy the CCTV footage, with the alleged intention of perverting the course of public justice in connection with the false imprisonment of Martin Byrne at Finnstown House Hotel, Newcastle Road. Lucan, Co Dublin between June 9, 2015 and June 12, 2015.
The defendant has pleaded not guilty to both charges.
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