A date has been set for the retrial of a Wicklow farmer charged with murdering his older brother at their Wicklow home in 2010. Cecil Tomkins (63) was jailed for life by the Central Criminal Court in April, after being found guilty of murdering Walter Tomkins (66) at Cronlea, Shillelagh on July 1st of that year.
He was released on bail last week after having his conviction quashed by the Court of Criminal Appeal. It was heard that the bachelor had advanced Parkinson’s disease, used a wheelchair and was incapable of independent living and he was released on bail to the care of Bloomfield Nursing Home. State solicitor Liam Mulholland told Mr Justice Paul Carney “Mr Tomkins is quite elderly so we’re looking for as early a date as possible,” he said. A date was set for Monday, January 20th, 2014.