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Attempted murder trial hears of bullet found in dog basket

Summary

During the attempted‑murder trial of Robert Lawlor, the Central Criminal Court heard that Garda Cathal Hickey recovered four bullets from the Mitchell residence after the shooting on 26 May 2018. One bullet lay on the kitchen floor, another in the hallway, a third was found in the dog basket of the shed, and a fourth was on the decking outside the back patio. Hickey also traced a line of blood from a bullet in the dog shed to a decking area where a dead German Shepherd, Chopper, was found. He reported bullet holes in the front door at 79 inches and in the kitchen‑hallway door at 64 inches. Sergeant Noel Smith admitted moving a bullet from outside the house to inside the property at about 8 am, citing concern that it might be removed by someone else. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, continues with a jury of seven men and five women. Robert Lawlor pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Attempted murder trial hears of bullet found in dog basket. Charges or matters: the attempted murder of Fiona Mitchell at Moatview Avenue, Priorswood, Dublin on May 26, 2018; the charge of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at Moatview Avenue, Priorswood, Dublin on the same date; making a threat to Rachel Kirwan at Donaghmede, Dublin on a date unknown between January 1 and 31 2018 to kill or cause serious harm to Fiona Mitchell and her son Derek Mitchell; shooting a dog endangering its health and welfare at Moatview Avenue, Priorswood on May 26, 2018. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• May 26, 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 1 Incident
• 2019-11-28 Publication

Why: The witness replied: "I have explained my reason was that I feared it would be removed by someone else so I took it inside the property. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report