Keane trial further delayed over jury selection

The trial of five men charged with the murder of Limerick crime figure Kieran Keane was further delayed yesterday after three…

The trial of five men charged with the murder of Limerick crime figure Kieran Keane was further delayed yesterday after three jurors were discharged from the jury panel. The trial at the Central Criminal Court in Limerick was adjourned yesterday by Mr Justice Butler until tomorrow morning.

The proceedings had opened amid tight security on Tuesday when it took just over two hours to empanel a jury of nine men and three women. Yesterday, however, two of the men were excused from the panel.

It emerged that one of them lived near one of the accused. A second man was discharged when he said he could not concentrate on the case due to an ongoing situation at his place of work involving possible redundancies.

"I find it hard to concentrate when my livelihood is at stake," he said.

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Another juror was then sworn in but later excused after he said he had important university exams coming up.

A hundred and seventy potential jurors were deemed eligible for the trial but fewer than 100 turned up in court on Tuesday. It is understood a number of doctor's certificates had been handed in to the court.

Mr Justice Butler said: "I can see this trial going in a particular direction and I want to consider it further so I'm going to adjourn it until Friday. We should have a definitive position by then."

On Tuesday, Mr James McCarthy (24), Delmege Park, Moyross; Mr David Stanners (31) Pineview Gardens, Moyross; Mr Christopher Costelloe (20,) Moylish Avenue, Ballynanty; Mr Anthony McCarthy (21), The Fairgreen, and Mr Dessie Dundon (20), Hyde Road, all in Limerick, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Keane at Drombana, Co Limerick, on January 29th last and to the attempted murder of his nephew Mr Owen Treacy.

They also pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning the two men on the same date.

The five accused were brought to court yesterday under armed escort and everyone entering the courtroom was searched and checked by electronic scanner.

The prosecution's chief witness, Mr Treacy, sat in the upstairs viewing gallery of the courtroom accompanied by armed detectives. Mr Keane's widow, Ms Sophie Keane, was in the public gallery.