A law professor, Diarmuid Phelan, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of a man in Tallaght, Co Dublin.
Mr Phelan’s trial will open on Tuesday afternoon before a jury and Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford.
After a jury was empanelled on Monday to hear the trial, Mr Phelan (54), wearing a dark suit, blue shirt and navy patterned tie, was arraigned before them on the charge that he, on February 24th 2022, at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, did murder one Keith Conlon.
He replied: “Not guilty.”
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The jury of eight men and four women was sent away until Tuesday when the trial, which they have been told is likely to last six weeks, will be opened by Roisin Lacey SC, with John Byrne SC, for the DPP.
The judge earlier told the jury panel that, if they knew Diarmuid Phelan, also known as Diarmuid Rossa Phelan, or the farm, or knew anything about the case, they should not serve.
Mr Phelan is a law professor at Trinity College Dublin, and a senior counsel, she said.
If they knew anything about Keith Bono Conlon, also known as Keith Green, or about Callum Coleman, also known as Callie Ryan, or about a Robin, or Robert Duggan, with a nickname Rob Minicob, they should not serve, she said. She named four other people and told the jury panel not to serve if they knew any of those.
If they had read, liked, shared or posted on social media opinion related to the accused or to the events at Hazelgrove Farm, they should notify her, the judge said.
They should let the court know if they were involved with the breeding or use of dogs for fox coursing, foxing or badgering, she added.
When empanelling the jury, the judge read a list of the names of up to 80 witnesses in the case and asked that no juror serve if they knew any of those.
Michael Bowman SC, with Seán Guerin SC, for Mr Phelan, told the panel they may hear evidence from various other witnesses, including a dog warden, a pathologist in Northern Ireland and some people from outside the jurisdiction.
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