Courts / Cork / Report

'Flagrant' contempt of witness who booked holiday to Ayia Napa sees him jailed and fined

Summary

Craig O'Donoghue, 20, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for contempt of court after failing to attend the trial of a teenager charged with violent disorder at the Cameron Blair murder scene. O'Donoghue, a witness who had been served with a witness order, booked a holiday to Ayia Napa, Cyprus, and refused to return despite police contact. He was arrested at Dublin airport upon his return. Justice David Keane described the conduct as "premeditated, flagrant and persistent," noting O'Donoghue's high culpability and disdain for the law. The judge imposed a headline sentence of three months in prison, reduced by one month to an effective two-month term, citing mitigation including O'Donoghue's remorse and previous good character. He was also fined €1,000, payable within nine months. O'Donoghue has been in custody since his arrest. His co-accused, Darragh O'Connor, 20, was sentenced for a similar contempt last week. The underlying trial involved a teenager who pleaded guilty to Mr Blair's murder and received a life sentence, while another teenager's trial ended after the defence accepted possession of a butter knife, leading the DPP to discontinue the knife possession charge.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Flagrant' contempt of witness who booked holiday to Ayia Napa sees him jailed and fined. Charges or matters: Mr Blair's murder and received a life sentence. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• 24th May Incident
• 3rd May Incident
• 2nd June Hearing Or Sentence
• 27th May Other
• 11th May Other
• 7th June Other
• 12th June Hearing Or Sentence
• 30th June Hearing Or Sentence
• 1st July Hearing Or Sentence
• 16th June Incident
• 2nd July Incident
• 2021-07-21 Publication

Why: She explained that if he'd answered his phone they wouldn't have had to. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report