Courts / Dublin / Report

O'Brien was secretive man who'd had affairs, murder trial hears

Summary

In the murder trial of Paul Wells Senior, the defence cross‑examined Eimear Dunne, the wife of the deceased Kenneth O'Brien, who had been found dismembered in a canal. Dunne admitted that O'Brien was a secretive man who had affairs, recorded conversations, and had a history of making pipe bombs. She testified that she had not known about his bomb‑making or his friendship with the accused, who was described as an IRA man. Dunne described how O'Brien had been working in Limerick and had been involved with a woman in Australia, and that she had received suspicious texts from an unknown number. She also recounted that O'Brien had shown her photographs of the woman and that he had suggested she provoke the woman into assaulting her. The trial is ongoing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: O'Brien was secretive man who'd had affairs, murder trial hears. Charges or matters: murdering her partner, Kenneth O'Brien, at the accused man's home; murdering the 33-year-old on January 15 or 16, 2016. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• January 15 Hearing Or Sentence
• July 2013 Other
• April 2014 Other
• November 2013 Other
• March 2014 Other
• January 16th Other
• November 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• Christmas Other
• 2018-10-12 Publication

Why: However, she had not heard that a friend had caught him making pipe bombs or that her partner had first befriended the man charged with his murder because the accused was "an IRA man". CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report