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Lawyers for murder plot accused want "hugely significant" evidence excluded

Summary

In a Special Criminal Court hearing, Liam Brannigan, 37, charged with conspiracy to murder Gary Hanley, pleaded not guilty. His defence, led by Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC, sought exclusion of several mobile phones seized during his arrest and subsequent searches. The phones included two found in Brannigan's pockets, one on a table in the apartment complex's car park, and an 085 phone discovered in the undergrowth behind St Nicholas of Myra Church on Francis Street. The defence argued that the 085 phone was "hugely significant" but that the time lapse between Brannigan's arrest on 6 November 2017 and the phone's discovery on 8 November 2017, as well as the lack of preservation of the scene, undermined its admissibility. They also challenged the legality of the search of Brannigan's home, the manner of his arrest by the Armed Support Unit, and the use of force, citing no statutory basis was provided and that the search breached constitutional rights.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Lawyers for murder plot accused want "hugely significant" evidence excluded. Charges or matters: conspiring to murder Gary Hanley at a location within the State between September 15th and November 6th, 2017. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• September 15th Hearing Or Sentence
• November 6th, 2017 Incident
• November 8th, 2017 Incident
• 2019-11-04 Publication

Why: He said "reasonable steps must be taken" and submitted that Detective Garda Val Russell, a member of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Unit, who executed Mr Brannigan's arrest, should have stated his reason for entering the property when he entered. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report