Jury set to begin deliberations in Stroketown farm attack trial

A jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court is set to begin deliberations in the trial of four men accused of participating in an armed attack on security guards at a repossessed farmhouse near Strokestown, County Roscommon, in December 2018. Patrick J Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne and David Lawlor, from addresses in Donegal, Mayo, Roscommon and Meath respectively, each face 17 charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary, arson and violent disorder. The prosecution alleges approximately 30 armed men attacked the property at Falsk early on 16 December 2018, wielding various weapons. Judge Martina Baxter instructed the jury on the legal principles of common design and joint enterprise, emphasizing that mere presence at a crime scene does not establish guilt. She noted that O'Toole, who dismissed his legal team, is absent from court but the trial proceeds in his absence. The jury will begin considering its verdict tomorrow.