Barry Wolverson murder trial continues at Special Criminal Court

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The trial of two men accused of murdering Barry Wolverson was continuing at the Special Criminal Court. The proceedings were reported on 21 June 2022.

A 33-year-old man who cannot be named for legal reasons and is referred to by lawyers as ‘AB’, and Bernard Fogarty, 34, of Cromcastle Court, Kilmore, Coolock, Dublin 5, both deny murdering Mr Wolverson at Madigan’s Yard, Kileek Lane, Swords, Co Dublin, on 17 January 2020.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to murder, possession of a firearm, possession of .38/.357 calibre ammunition and assault causing harm to Gerard Wildman at the yard on 17 January 2020.

Mr Wolverson died on 21 February 2021 after a lengthy spell in hospital. The men were charged with his attempted murder in April 2021; those charges were upgraded to murder after his death.

Former advanced paramedic Michelle O’Toole told the court she found Mr Wolverson was not breathing and had an irregular heartbeat. She administered adrenaline after attempts to revive him by intubation failed, and said his heart rhythm then changed to a normal rhythm.

Mr Wolverson was taken to Beaumont Hospital, where he survived for many months in a vegetative state, prosecutor Paul Greene SC said. Asked whether there was a very strong likelihood that Mr Wolverson would have died at the scene without paramedics’ intervention, Ms O’Toole said it was hard for her to say, but it would appear so.

The trial before Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, Judge Cormac Dunne and Judge Gerard Griffin was continuing and was expected to last six weeks.