Murder accused Dwyer refused bail by Supreme Court

Dublin man accused of killing Elaine O’Hara to remain in custody

Graham Dwyer is escorted into court in Dun Laoghaire in November where he was  charged with the murder of Elaine O’Hara. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
Graham Dwyer is escorted into court in Dun Laoghaire in November where he was charged with the murder of Elaine O’Hara. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times

A man charged with the murder of Elaine O’Hara has been refused bail by the Supreme Court.

Graham Dwyer was charged last October with the murder of Ms O’Hara (36) whose decomposed remains were found in the Dublin mountains in September.

He is accused of murdering Ms O’Hara in Co Dublin on August 22nd, 2012.

The 41-year-old architect and father-of-two, originally from Cork but with an address at Kerrymount Close, Foxrock, Dublin, was remanded in custody by a District Court judge earlier this week to appear on January 15th by video-link. The book of evidence is also due to be presented then.

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He was refused bail by the High Court last month after the state objected to bail.

Today, he was in the Supreme Court when the three members of the court took just under a half an hour to reject his application for bail.

Chief Justice Susan Denham said the court was dismissing all three grounds on which the appeal had been brought.

The court had earlier made an order that none of the evidence relating to the bail application could be published.

Mr Dwyer, who was dressed in a dark suit, shirt and tie, attended the court today accompanied by prison officers. He arrived 15 minutes later than scheduled and two of the three judges complained about the delay.

Sean Guerin SC, for the DPP, said their concerns would be brought to the attention of the prison authorities.

Mr Dwyer has been held at Cloverhill Prison since he was charged on October 18 when a court was told that after he was cautioned by gardaí and asked if he had anything to say, he replied “I do; Not guilty”.

On November 20th, he was further remanded in custody and granted legal aid. At that hearing, the court heard he was no longer on a salary and his family home was in mortgage arrears.

Ms O’Hara had been missing for more than a year before her decomposed remains were found in undergrowth by a woman walking her dog on September 13th at Killakee Mountain, Rathfarnham.

A bag containing a number of items belonging to Ms O’Hara as well as her mobile phone and keys were discovered in a reservoir near Roundwood, Co Wicklow at different times in the days before and after the body was found.

The opening of an inquest into her death heard no cause of death had been established and the inquest was adjourned until the outcome of the criminal proceedings.