Courts / Kildare / Report

State must prove son had no reasonable excuse to dispose of father's murder chainsaw, judge tells jury

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court trial, Paul Wells Junior, aged 33, faces charges of impeding his father's apprehension by disposing of the chainsaw used to dismember murder victim Kenneth O'Brien. The jury, after two and a half hours of deliberation, was instructed by Judge Stewart to consider each count separately: disposing of the chainsaw motor and disposing of the chain and blade. The prosecution alleged that Wells Junior knowingly removed the equipment, while the defence argued he acted under a reasonable excuse, citing a history of abuse and fear of his father. Judge Stewart emphasized that the burden remained on the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that no reasonable excuse existed. The jury was required to reach a unanimous verdict on both counts before proceeding with further deliberations. The case remains pending, with no verdict announced yet. Paul Wells Junior pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: State must prove son had no reasonable excuse to dispose of father's murder chainsaw, judge tells jury. Charges or matters: impeding the apprehension or prosecution of his father Paul Wells Senior (51) by disposing of a chainsaw nearly four years ago; disposing of a chainsaw motor at a time unknown between January 19 and 20, 2016 in Co Kildare and not guilty to disposing of a chainsaw blade and chain on January 20, 2016 in the same location. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• January 19 Other
• January 20, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 17 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 15 Other
• 2019-11-21 Publication

Why: Mr Bowman said the prosecution had proven that Mr Wells Jnr disposed of the chainsaw, its motor and blade because he knew Wells Snr had used it to murder Mr O'Brien. Prosecution account reported by CNI

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report