Courts / Dublin / Report

Temporary bail for IRA accused

Summary

The Special Criminal Court granted temporary bail to Brian Nick McBennet, one of seven men charged with membership of an unlawful organisation, specifically the IRA. McBennet, aged 56, and his co-accused—Peter Burns, Kevin Braney, Michael Barr, John Brock, Declan Phelan, and Desmond Christie—were charged on July 3, 2013. The three-judge panel, presided over by Justice Paul Butler, allowed McBennet bail from May 22 to May 24 on consent. Conditions included a €100 personal bond, surrendering travel documents, residing at a specified address, daily garda station sign-ins, a curfew, and providing a dedicated mobile phone number. He was also prohibited from contacting prosecution witnesses or associating with persons charged with scheduled offences outside the presence of his legal team. An independent surety of €10,000 was provided, with the surety agreeing to freeze their bank account to maintain that balance. The court noted that an application to adjourn McBennet's trial, currently listed for June 9, will be made on Tuesday. This adjournment is pending an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions on a point of law in a connected case, which is scheduled for the following week in the Court of Appeal. The matter remains subject to this procedural delay.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Temporary bail for IRA accused. Charges or matters: membership of an unlawful organisation. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• July 3 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
• Friday May 22 Incident
• May 24 Incident
• June 9 Adjournment
• 2015-05-06 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report