Courts / Meath / Report

"No faults" in accused's car, Peter Butterly murder trial hears

Summary

In a non‑jury trial for the 2013 murder of Peter Butterly, the court heard that Garda Joe Doyle, a PSV examiner, inspected a green Opel Zafira on 6 March 2013, six days after the shooting. Doyle reported that the vehicle showed "no faults" at the time of his examination, although the car's Engine Control Unit had recorded three historic faults previously. The car had reportedly "conked out" on the day of the shooting, but Doyle found no faults that would have forced it to stall or prevent it from starting. The trial involves two accused men, Sharif Kelly (47) and Edward McGrath (35), who both pleaded not guilty to the murder and, in McGrath's case, to firearms offences. A third accused, Dean Evans (24), failed to appear and has not been located. The court also heard legal arguments regarding the admissibility of forensic samples taken from the accused after their detention.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "No faults" in accused's car, Peter Butterly murder trial hears. Charges or matters: the alleged murder; firearms offences on the same occasion. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• March 6th, 2013 Incident
• March 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2017-02-15 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report