Hannah Felgner, a medical student and temporary farmworker, relayed her chilling experiences to the Central Criminal Court following a shooting incident on a legal expert’s farm in County Dublin. Only two days after her arrival in Ireland to assist in farm activities for Diarmuid Phelan, she was witness to an event filled with dread, which she fears she may never adequately express through words.
She was one of the individuals who reached out to emergency services by dialling 999 on the fateful day Keith Conlon was shot, as the court was informed on the third day of Mr Phelan’s trial. A prominent advocate and law academic, 56-year-old Mr Phelan has denied allegations of murdering Keith Conlon at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, Co Dublin, on February 24th, 2022. Conlon was one of three individuals trespassing and engaging in fox hunting on the farm two days prior to the incident.
According to the prosecution, Mr Phelan shot a dog that belonged to Kallum Coleman, one of the trespassers. Heated verbal exchanges ensued, after which Mr Phelan reportedly fired two shots into the air and a lethal third bullet struck Mr Conlon, critically injuring him. Two days following the incident, Mr Conlon was officially declared dead.
The prosecutors believe that Mr Phelan displayed the necessary intent for murder. The court was informed that Mr Phelan had communicated to police his fear that he would have been attacked had he not acted swiftly. The prosecutors see the defence’s position as arguing that Mr Phelan’s use of his firearm was a justified act of self-defence and that there was no intention to cause harm to Mr Conlon.
On the 22nd of February, 2022, Ms Felgner, aged 21, testified that, following the sound of a distant dog’s bark, she observed Mr Phelan, armed with a firearm, delve into the farm bushes accompanied by his dog and another farm worker. Following audible screaming, a gunshot, and a chaotic commotion, Mr Phelan reemerged from the foliage with the dog and farm worker, walking in her direction.
Subsequently, a pair of highly agitated men exited the bushes, hollering insistently that they intended to get the authorities involved and have charges filed against Mr Phelan. In contrast, Mr Phelan maintained his composure, displaying a calm demeanour as he invited them to call the police, pausing only to ask them to respect his space.
The men disregarded his requests and continued their heated tirade while advancing towards him. As they neared, Mr Phelan responded by drawing a compact firearm and firing a warning shot into the air, imploring them once more to “Keep your distance.” Noting the escalating situation, the men hastily began to retreat. However, Ms Felgner reported that Mr Phelan managed to hit one of them in the back, causing him to collapse, before she was able to dial 999 to summon medical assistance. Her evident discomfort was clear when this call was later replayed in court.
During cross-examination, Seán Guerin SC, Mr Phelan’s representative, proposed that Ms Felgner did not perceive any threat due to the men’s focus being solely on Mr Phelan. Refuting this, Ms Felgner stated that the men did not pose a threat to anyone present, despite the heated exchange they were engaged in with Mr Phelan. Nevertheless, she conceded that they seemed resolved to continue their relentless pursuit of Mr Phelan. When asked if the first shot was fired when the assailants were in close enough proximity to strike Mr Phelan, she replied with disagreement.
She asserted that the two men had reversed direction, initiating an escape prior to the final gunshot being discharged. “That could have been the outcome, had they continued advancing on him,” she noted.
Mr Conlon’s relatives were overwhelmed with emotion and exited the courtroom in tears after listening to his voice on a recording of a 999 call made on 22nd of February, 2022. He was prompted to take over the call and respond to the dispatcher’s inquiries by Ms Fengler , to which he responded “Thirty-five. I’ve been shot.”
Evidence presented to the jury included a prior emergency call, recorded 22 seconds after 1:05 pm, logged by Mr Phelan before the shooting of Mr Conlon. In the call, Mr Phelan reported a breach of security at the property, alerting the authorities of a turbulent situation and urgently requesting police intervention. Among his statements were: “We are dealing with significant unrest here, we require help”. He can be heard in the background saying, “The police are en route, you can speak with them” and also instructing someone to “Move away, retreat.”
The court proceedings will resume on the coming Monday with Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford and the jury presiding.