In a tragic case of mistaken identity, Shane Geoghegan, a rugby player with no criminal record, was killed more than a decade and a half ago. The gangster from Limerick who arranged the murder, John Dundon, recently secured a new group of legal advisors. Despite a series of delays and complications, his appeal against his murder conviction is set to be heard this month, regardless of the circumstances.
In the previous month, Dundon faced criticism for what was deemed a “manipulative tactic” when he fired his legal team and requested a postponement of his appeal against the verdict. Dundon informed the Court of Appeal that due to his former legal counsel’s inability to present a grounds for appeal that he felt had been discovered in the recent past, he had decided to terminate their services. Dundon’s application to have his previous counsellors removed from the case was accepted by the court’s three judges.
According to Dundon, his reluctance to elaborate on an additional appeal basis is due to its connection to elements that he was not appraised of prior to his trial. Those elements were alleged to be non-existent but he is now able to demonstrate otherwise. He alleges this appeal basis was not properly utilized by his initial legal team, leading to their termination.
Sean Guerin SC, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions accused Dundon of pulling a “manipulative stunt”, similar to one he employed during his 2013 trial.
At a recent Court of Appeal hearing, Phelim O’Neill, a solicitor working under the guidance of Morgan Shelley BL, presented himself as Dundon’s legal representative and was informed that the appeal would proceed as planned on April 22nd. Dundon only spoke to confirm his intention to employ Mr O’Neill. He has also been given legal aid to fund his new team.
Mr Justice John Edwards has noted this appointment as final against Mr Dundon regarding the April 22nd date, and the expectation is that the case will be heard on that day. The Justice also set out clear deadlines for new appeal grounds and sworn affidavits to be finalised, stating that the court expects absolute clarity a week before the hearing.
Justice Patrick McCarthy, in his ruling, instructed that all crucial documentation related to Dundon’s case must be provided to the State in a reasonable timeframe to allow for proper response. In the past, Dundon had made multiple unsuccessful attempts at the Special Criminal Court and High Court to postpone his 2013 murder trial.
At age 41, John Dundon, previously a resident of Limerick’s Hyde Road, stood before the Special Criminal Court in 2013, found guilty of orchestrating the murder of Mr. Geoghegan in the vicinity of the victim’s residence at Clonmore, Kilteragh, Dooradoyle, Limerick, on November 9, 2008. Presently, he is undergoing a life sentence.
Mr. Geoghegan, an active rugby player with Garryowen in Limerick had just returned from a friend’s home, where they watched an international game for Ireland, shortly before the incident at 1am. Moments before the shooting, he had sent a message to his girlfriend, Jenna Barry, to let her know of his imminent return when she heard shots near her vicinity.
Mr. Geoghegan was tragically shot five times using a Glock semi-automatic pistol, with the lethal shot delivered to the back of his head.
The prosecution’s argument was that Mr. Geoghegan was an innocently unfortunate casualty of a shooting intended for another person, orchestrated by Dundon. Principal witness providing evidence for the prosecution, April Collins, testified that the intended target was another man, ordered by Dundon to be killed by Barry Doyle.
Doyle, a resident of Portland Row in Dublin 1, during his interviews with the Garda, confessed to mistakenly shooting Mr. Geoghegan. Even though Doyle refuted charges of the murder during the trial, a jury at the Central Criminal Court found him guilty, sentencing him to life imprisonment.