Courts / Galway / Report

Alleged burglar may have escaped Circuit Court trial had he not "skipped the country"

Summary

Edward Hanrahan faced the Court of Appeal in January 2017 following the dismissal of his judicial review proceedings in the High Court. Originally charged with three burglaries in Galway District Court in December 2009, Hanrahan absconded before his scheduled March 2010 hearing. He evaded gardaí for several years across multiple counties before being apprehended in a Donegal village in November 2014 whilst allegedly attempting to cross the border. Upon his recapture, two charges were withdrawn but one remained. The Director of Public Prosecutions subsequently directed trial in the Circuit Court rather than summarily. Hanrahan contested this decision as unfair and sought judicial review. The High Court rejected his application, finding no procedural breach. The Court of Appeal unanimously upheld this judgment, with Mr Justice George Birmingham stating the uncertainty surrounding the original District Court proceedings could not benefit Hanrahan, who bore sole responsibility for his flight and consequent circumstances.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Alleged burglar may have escaped Circuit Court trial had he not "skipped the country". Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• December 2009 Incident
• March 15, 2010 Adjournment
• 15th March Adjournment
• June 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
• June 2012 Other
• November 2014 Other
• 2017-01-17 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial

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Read the original CNI report