Courts / Roscommon / Report

Fire brigade officers give evidence at Strokestown eviction trial

Summary

Fire brigade officers gave evidence on day 13 of the trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court concerning an incident at a property near Strokestown, County Roscommon, on 16 December 2018. Peter Carney, station officer at Elfin fire station, described arriving at the repossessed farmhouse at Falsk to find vehicles on fire and three or four seriously injured security personnel outside. He told the jury that fire officers cordoned off the property following a risk assessment and controlled access to the scene. Brendan Foy, station officer at Strokestown fire station, testified that security guards requested re-entry but were prevented from doing so due to safety concerns and the site being a crime scene. He confirmed standard procedure involved erecting cordon tape and stationing an officer to prevent tampering with evidence. Four men, Patrick Sweeney, Martin O'Toole, Paul Beirne and David Lawlor, have each pleaded not guilty to 17 charges including false imprisonment, assault causing harm, aggravated burglary and arson. The trial before Judge Martina Baxter continues.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Fire brigade officers give evidence at Strokestown eviction trial. Charges or matters: 17 charges each at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• December 11, 2018 Incident
• December 16, 2018 Incident
• 2023-03-22 Publication

Why: " He agreed that was because of concerns for their safety and the fact that it was a crime scene. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Burglary Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report