Diarmuid Phelan, a professor of law, has entered a plea of non-guilty in the Central Criminal Court, regarding the alleged murder of a man in Tallaght, Co Dublin. The trial is set to commence on Tuesday afternoon, presided over by Mrs Justice Siobhán Lankford and a jury.
Mr Phelan, aged 54 and attired in a dark suit, blue shirt, and navy-patterned tie, was arraigned before a jury assembled on Monday. He stands accused of murdering Keith Conlon at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, on the 24th of February, 2022. When charged, he responded, “Not guilty.”
A jury of eight males and four females was informed their services were required until Tuesday and briefed about the trial’s expected duration of six weeks. The prosecutor Roisin Lacey SC, alongside DPP’s John Byrne SC, will initiate the proceedings.
Preceding jury selection, the judge apprised prospective jurors that they would be disqualified from serving if they had prior knowledge of Diarmuid Rossa Phelan, or the said farm, or the specifics of the case. She also added that Mr Phelan is a law professor at Trinity College Dublin and holds the position of senior counsel.
She instructed the panel to recuse themselves if they had any information about Keith Bono Conlon, Callum Coleman, and Robert Duggan, among others that she mentioned.
Potential jurors were further advised not to participate if they had engaged in any social media activity that pertained to the accused or the events at Hazelgrove Farm. They were also asked to withdraw if their activities entailed breeding dogs or utilising them for fox coursing or badgering.
When proceeding with jury selection, the judge systematically eased out potential conflict of interest by excluding anybody who was familiar with the expected 80 witnesses in the case. Mr Phelan’s legal team, headed by Michael Bowman SC and Seán Guerin SC, mentioned that they might call on a variety of witnesses from different jurisdictions, including a dog warden and a Northern Ireland pathologist.