Hearing on coverage of Laide trial adjourned

An application "to guide the media" in relation to a the retrial of Dermot Laide has been adjourned until November 1st.

An application "to guide the media" in relation to a the retrial of Dermot Laide has been adjourned until November 1st.

Laide faces retrial for manslaughter arising out of the death of teenager Brian Murphy outside the Burlington hotel in Dublin.

His conviction for manslaughter was overturned by the Court of Criminal Appeal on February 24th this year. His conviction for violent disorder remained and he has now served his sentence.

Judge Yvonne Murphy had been assigned by Judge Michael White to preside over the scheduled retrial next April.

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An application by the Director of Public Prosecutions "to guide the media" in relation to pretrial reporting was to have been heard by Judge Murphy this morning .

However, Judge Murphy said that she had a "commitment" and would not be able to preside over the retrial and has sent the case back to Judge White for reassignment.

Mr Brendan Grehan SC, prosecuting, had told Judge White on October 21st that the DPP was "concerned" with pretrial publicity that might affect Laide's right to a fair trial and wanted to "protect the integrity of the system between now and the trial".

Mr Grehan said that since Laide's recent release from custody there had been "quite an amount" of publicity, including articles that were "blatantly anti re-prosecution".

Mr Grehan told Judge White that Laide's original trial had attracted various problems in relation to media coverage, resulting in three publications being found in contempt of court.