Courts / Cork / Report

Charge against teen accused of producing knife at Cameron Blair murder scene to be withdrawn

Date
2021-06-16

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Cork City

County
Cork

Summary

The Director of Public Prosecutions announced that the charge of producing a knife at the Bandon Road house party where 20‑year‑old Cameron Blair was murdered would be withdrawn. The 16‑year‑old accused, who was 14 at the time of the incident, had pleaded not guilty to producing a knife capable of inflicting serious injury. He had previously pleaded guilty to violent disorder with two others. The trial at the Central Criminal Court had been proceeding for almost three weeks before the DPP entered a nolle prosequi. The judge, Mr Justice Keane, declared the trial ended and directed a probation report within 28 days, remanding the juvenile on bail until 12 July. The case was closed without proceeding with the knife‑production charge.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Charge against teen accused of producing knife at Cameron Blair murder scene to be withdrawn. Charges or matters: producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury in the course of a dispute, to wit a knife, in a manner likely to unlawfully intimidate another person; committing violent disorder with two other persons present together, using or threatening to use unlawful violence, and such conduct taken together would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at Bandon Road in Cork city to fear for his or another person's safety at the said place on the same occasion; his murder. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

May 28 Incident
January 16, 2020 Adjournment
July 12 Adjournment
June 26 Adjournment
April 2020 Other
January 11 2021 Adjournment
Thursday January 16 Hearing Or Sentence
2021-06-16 Publication

Why: The now 16-year-old accused, who cannot be named because he is a minor, went on trial on May 28 charged with the production of a knife at a house on Bandon Road in Cork city on January 16, 2020. CNI source report

Case subjects

Unnamed 16-year-old

Accused

Charges: producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury in the course of a dispute, to wit a knife, in a manner likely to unlawfully intimidate another person; committing violent disorder with two other persons present together, using or threatening to use unlawful violence, and such conduct taken together would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at Bandon Road in Cork city to fear for his or another person's safety at the said place on the same occasion; his murder (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Outcome: In April 2020, a teenage boy, then aged 17, who murdered Cameron by plunging a knife into his neck outside the house party received a life sentence that will be reviewed in 2032.; Mr Justice Keane said he would direct a probation report and he remanded the juvenile on continuing bail until July 12.