The trial of a Donegal man charged with making false statements and wasting garda time failed to get under way yesterday at Letterkenny Circuit Court yesterday.
The adjournment in the case of Mr Derrick Connolly, Craig's Road, Raphoe, came when problems arose with the jury shortly after they were sworn in.
Three members of the jury informed Judge Matthew Deery that they were not happy to continue as they knew one of the witnesses and the defendant. They were initially replaced by a juror who arrived late.
But following consultations between the legal teams and Judge Deery, Ms Mary Ellen Ring SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said she had been directed to ask for an adjournment. The judge excused the jury and adjourned the case until the May sitting of the court.
Mr Connolly is charged with knowingly making a false statement contrary to Section 12 (a) of the Criminal Law Act and making a false statement to Garda John Dowd tending to show that an offence under the Road Traffic Act had been committed by another person. He is pleading not guilty to both charges.
Video study for trials set up
A committee to examine the use of video-conferenceing in criminal and civil trials has been set up by the Minister for Justice, writes Carol Coulter, Legal Affairs Correspondent.
Chaired by Mrs Justice Denham, it includes representatives of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Courts Service, the Prison Service, the Garda Síochána, the Attorney General's office, the Bar Council and the Law Society.
Mr McDowell has asked the committee to submit an interim report as soon as possible on a number of areas, including bail applications and remands. He said video-conferencing could also be applied in taking evidence from witnesses in civil litigation cases.
Youth held on threats charge
A youth charged in connection with an incident in which a group of French nationals were allegedly threatened with being killed and having their home burned down has been remanded in custody to Clover Hill Prison for one week.
The Dublin Children's Court heard that the 17-year-old had been charged under Sections 4 and 6 of the Public Order Act for being intoxicated to such an extent that he was a danger to himself and others and for engaging in threatening, insulting and abusive behaviour on the night of February 9th.
He has also been charged with criminal damage to the home of two French men and a Brazilian national at Carlingford Parade, Dublin, on the same date.
Three other individuals have also been arrested and charged in connection with the same offence, the court heard.
A file is being prepared on the case and will be sent to the DPP soon, the court heard.
Judge Murphy remanded the youth in custody for one week. Another 17-year-old charged in connection with the same incident, for public order and criminal damage offences, was released on bail until March 11th.
Continuity IRA trial continues
The trial of seven suspected members of the Continuity IRA continued in legal argument yesterday in the Special Criminal Court.
Lawyers for the accused submitted that the men were arrested unlawfully during a search of a house by gardaí using a warrant issued under Section 29 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939.