Courts / Cork / Report

Contempt of court hearing in Cameron Blair related case is adjourned

Date
2021-07-12

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Bandon

County
Cork

Summary

A contempt of court hearing concerning two witnesses in the trial of an unnamed 16-year-old defendant was adjourned until Friday. Darragh O'Connor and Craig O'Donoghue, both 20, are alleged to have left the jurisdiction for Ayia Napa to avoid giving evidence at the juvenile's trial. The 16-year-old, who pleaded not guilty to producing a knife, had previously pleaded guilty to violent disorder at a house on Bandon Road in Cork city where college student Cameron Blair was murdered. The DPP discontinued the knife charge. During the out-of-hours High Court sitting, defence counsel reported that prison authorities could not facilitate consultations due to a harsh regime and one witness's reported Covid-19 symptoms. Mr Justice Keane ordered the two alleged contemptors to be produced before him on Friday at 10.30am. The 16-year-old defendant was remanded on continuing bail until Friday, when the case will be mentioned to finalise a date for sentence. The alleged offence of contempt of court is punishable by imprisonment, fine, or both.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Contempt of court hearing in Cameron Blair related case is adjourned. 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; contempt of court. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

July 2 Incident
July 27 Hearing Or Sentence
May 28 Incident
January 16, 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
June 16 Hearing Or Sentence
2021-07-12 Publication

Why: It is the State's belief that the two witnesses left the jurisdiction in order to avoid giving evidence at the trial. CNI source report

Case subjects

Craig O'Donoghue

Co Accused

Charges: contempt of court (Alleged Or Contested)

Unnamed 16-year-old

Defendant

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.; A contempt of court hearing for two witnesses who went to Ayia Napa when they were due to give evidence in the trial of a teen who committed violent disorder at a house where college student Cameron Blair was murdered, has been adjourned until Friday.