Courts / Armagh / Report
Retrial ordered for man jailed over Newry courthouse bomb
Summary
Darren Weldon, a 47‑year‑old taxi driver from Kilbarrack, Dublin, had his 2014 conviction for membership of the Irish Republican Army quashed on appeal. The Special Criminal Court had found him guilty on 14 October 2014, sentencing him to five years' imprisonment with the final year suspended. The Court of Appeal held that the trial court's finding was "factually incorrect" because it relied on a photo from Weldon's iPhone that did not actually show him, and that the evidence left a "substantial gap" in the court's reasoning. The appeal judge, Mr Justice John Hedigan, noted that the conviction was based on a combination of opinion evidence, DNA linking Weldon to a car bomb's number plate, and the disputed photo. With the conviction deemed unsafe, it was quashed, a retrial ordered, and Weldon was released on bail to appear again before the Special Criminal Court on 29 June 2018. Darren Weldon pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Retrial ordered for man jailed over Newry courthouse bomb. Charges or matters: membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- October 14th, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 16, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 2010 Incident
- September 2012 Incident
- Friday, June 29 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2018-06-27 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: He was found guilty by the non-jury court and sentenced to five years imprisonment with the final year suspended on January 16, 2017.
Places mentioned
- Newry
- Newry courthouse
- Special Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
- The Special Criminal Court
Topics
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