Courts / Cork / Report

Witness who travelled to Ayia Napa when he was due to give evidence will face trial for contempt

Date
2021-07-02

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Cork City

County
Cork

Summary

Craig O'Donoghue, 20, was remanded in custody until July 12 at 10.30am by Mr Justice David Keane in the High Court following an out-of-hours sitting. O'Donoghue faces a trial for contempt of court after allegedly travelling to Ayia Napa, Cyprus, to avoid giving evidence in the trial of a 16-year-old accused. The State believes O'Donoghue and a co-accused left the jurisdiction to evade their witness orders. O'Donoghue was arrested at Dublin Airport on a bench warrant. The underlying trial involved a 16-year-old accused of producing a knife at a house party on Bandon Road, Cork city, where college student Cameron Blair was murdered. The juvenile pleaded not guilty to producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury, a charge the DPP discontinued via nolle prosequi. However, the juvenile pleaded guilty to committing violent disorder with two other persons present, using or threatening unlawful violence, causing fear for safety. Another juvenile has already pleaded guilty to Blair's murder. O'Donoghue was granted legal aid for senior and junior counsel for the July 12 hearing, where he is expected to attend electronically after a seven-day isolation period. The defence did not pursue a bail application. The alleged contempt offence is punishable by imprisonment, fine, or both.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Witness who travelled to Ayia Napa when he was due to give evidence will face trial for contempt. 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 Hearing Or Sentence
January 16, 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
June 16 Hearing Or Sentence
May 3 Hearing Or Sentence
May 11 Hearing Or Sentence
May 27 Hearing Or Sentence
June 1 Hearing Or Sentence
July 12 Adjournment
2021-07-02 Publication

Why: It is the State's belief that the witness and his co-accused left the jurisdiction in order to avoid giving evidence at the trial. CNI source report

Case subjects

Ayia Napa

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: The alleged offence of contempt of court is punishable by imprisonment, fine or both.; The judge remanded Mr O'Donoghue in custody until July 12 at 10.30am and granted legal aid to cover senior and junior counsel to represent him at the hearing on that date.