Courts / Meath / Report

Judge seeks further information on Maghaberry prison before deciding on extradition of NI man wanted for murder of Belfast mother

Date
2017-11-02
Stage
Charge Or Pretrial
Primary locality
Summerhill
County
Meath

Summary

In a High Court hearing on 2 November 2017, Justice Aileen Donnelly examined whether to extradite Raymond O'Neill, a 38‑year‑old Belfast man, to Northern Ireland for murder and arson charges linked to the 2015 killing of Jennifer Dornan. O'Neill was arrested in Dublin under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Northern Ireland authorities. He raised three objections: the impact of Brexit, insufficient linkage to the offences, and a real risk of inhuman treatment in Maghaberry prison due to his vulnerability. The judge rejected the Brexit and linkage objections, citing prior decisions and sufficient detail in the warrants. She expressed concern over Maghaberry's safety, citing a 2016 report that highlighted high violence levels and deficiencies for vulnerable prisoners. A 2017 report was deemed inadequate. A further hearing is scheduled for 12 December, with O'Neill remanded in custody until then.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Judge seeks further information on Maghaberry prison before deciding on extradition of NI man wanted for murder of Belfast mother. Charges or matters: murder; arson. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

Why: The Court said because of this it will not finalise the determination on the Brexit point at this juncture. CNI source report

Case subjects

Raymond O'Neill

Respondent

Charges: murder; arson (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: remanded in custody

Places mentioned

Court Venue
  • High Court
  • Supreme Court
Facility
  • Northern Ireland prison
  • Maghaberry prison
  • Midlands prison
Secondary Mention
  • Hazel View

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial Violent Crime

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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