Courts / Louth / Report
Acquittal appeals becoming more frequent, court of appeal says
Summary
Two individuals were acquitted in Louth Circuit Criminal Court after their lawyers argued that the search warrant used to investigate a "diesel laundering factory" was invalid, leading to exclusion of all evidence obtained under that warrant. The trial judge's ruling resulted in their acquittals. The Director of Public Prosecutions has now appealed the acquittals on a point of law, claiming that the Circuit Court judge incorrectly excluded evidence of paraphernalia linked to diesel laundering. The DPP argues the warrant was issued on misleading information and that the judge failed to properly assess the credibility of the source. The acquitted parties' counsel maintains there was insufficient evidence and that the warrant was based on confirmation bias. The Court of Appeal will decide whether to quash the acquittals and order a retrial.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Acquittal appeals becoming more frequent, court of appeal says. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- 2018-12-06 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Places mentioned
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