Papers' contempt case adjourned

Judge Patrick McCartan has adjourned the contempt of court hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court against five newspapers who…

Judge Patrick McCartan has adjourned the contempt of court hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court against five newspapers who named a man accused of sexually assaulting four girls.

Judge McCartan ruled on May 22nd that the contempt was in the nature of a criminal contempt due to the publication of the accused's name and photographs of him. He said three of the newspapers had also linked the accused to his brother who he said was "a person of some notoriety".

The newspapers are The Irish Times, the Irish Independent, the Irish Examiner, the Star and the Irish Mirror.

Yesterday counsel for the Irish Examiner, the Star and the Irish Mirror told the court they had secured a stay on the contempt proceedings in the High Court and had also obtained leave to bring a judicial review against the accused and against Judge McCartan concerning his jurisdiction on the alleged criminal contempt issue.

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Judge McCartan noted that the position of The Irish Times and the Irish Independent was different to that of the other papers as they had not linked the accused to any other person.

Judge McCartan adjourned the contempt hearing to the end of October. The accused man is remanded on bail to October 3rd for trial.