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Alleged murder bid victim "neither reliable nor truthful", defence tell jury

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 4 December 2019, Robert Lawlor (35) faced five attempted‑murder charges for an attack on Fiona Mitchell on 26 May 2018. Defence counsel Patrick McGrath SC argued that Mitchell's identification of Lawlor was unreliable, citing inconsistencies and the difficulty of seeing in a dark garden. He warned of the dangers of identification evidence and urged the jury to reject Mitchell's testimony. Prosecution counsel John O'Kelly SC countered, presenting Mitchell's consistent statements, CCTV showing two men entering her garden, and bullet trajectories that matched her account. He highlighted the damage to the house, the presence of a dog that was killed, and the absence of DNA or fingerprints. O'Kelly also detailed prior threats by Lawlor toward Mitchell's ex‑girlfriend and her partner, framing the attack as a response to those threats. The case remained at the trial stage, with the judge scheduled to charge the jury the following day. Robert Lawlor pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Alleged murder bid victim "neither reliable nor truthful", defence tell jury. Charges or matters: the attempted murder of Fiona Mitchell at Moatview Avenue, Priorswood, Dublin on May 26, 2018; 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 Incident
• February 2018 Other
• April 2019 Incident
• January 1 Incident
• Christmas Other
• 2019-12-04 Publication

Why: He said: "It's very important that trajectory, because it shows this was not some shot in to the ground or up in the air to scare someone. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report