Courts / Cavan / Report

Covid sees Central Criminal Court trials adjourned for years

Summary

The Central Criminal Court and Special Criminal Court have adjourned multiple trials due to the pandemic backlog. Inita Romanovska, 34, of Ennis, Co Clare, is charged with the alleged attempted murder of a man she met on Tinder during an incident in Limerick in March 2020. Her trial, previously scheduled for 2021, was adjourned to March 6, 2023. Mr Justice Michael White noted that jury trials will not resume until late March or April 2022, pending safety assessments. Meanwhile, at the Special Criminal Court, the trial of four men accused of abducting and assaulting Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney was adjourned from March 1 to May 31, 2022. The accused are Luke O'Reilly, 66, of Co Cavan; Darren Redmond, 25, of Dublin 3; and Alan O'Brien, 38, of Dublin 1. They face charges of false imprisonment and assault causing serious harm to Mr Lunney in September 2019. Mr Justice Tony Hunt stated that the five-party trial could not proceed in March due to public health restrictions and would run for 12 weeks starting in late May. A fifth unnamed male is also charged with the same offences. All matters remain at the procedural stage of fixing trial dates, with no pleas entered or findings made.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Covid sees Central Criminal Court trials adjourned for years. Charges or matters: attempted murder; false imprisonment; assault causing serious harm. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• March 15 Other
• March 29 Hearing Or Sentence
• April 12 Hearing Or Sentence
• June 9 Adjournment
• March 6, 2023 Incident
• March 11, 2020 Incident
• March 1 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 31 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 11 Hearing Or Sentence
• January 5 Hearing Or Sentence
• September 17, 2019 Incident
• New Year Other
• 2021-02-24 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

Related court reports

• 'Wouldn't be out of place in a Tarantino movie': Lunney kidnappers challenge sentences for 'animalistic' torture and abduction
• Kevin Lunney kidnappers lose conviction appeals
• Kevin Lunney kidnapper claims Special Criminal Court conviction unconstitutional
• State urges court to uphold gang's conviction for kidnap and torture of Kevin Lunney
• Career criminal Harte must pay costs of Lunney abduction appeal
• Career Criminal who kidnapped and tortured Kevin Lunney fails in 'moot' appeal over non-jury trial

Read the original CNI report