Courts / Dublin / Report

Violent murderer Jahiri, who punched barrister during trial, claims gardai planted evidence

Summary

Vesel Jahiri, a convicted murderer serving life imprisonment, appeared before the Court of Appeal to challenge his Central Criminal Court convictions for the 2012 murder of Anna Finnegan and the stabbing of her brother, Karl Finnegan. Jahiri, who pleaded not guilty to both charges and was found guilty by a jury, is representing himself in this appeal. He alleges that gardaí planted evidence, including knives and a knife block, at his temporary address to link him to the crime. The appellant further claims the trial judge erred by excluding him from the latter stages of the trial, denying him a closing speech, and preventing him from inspecting the murder weapon. He asserts that gardaí wiped the knife blade to remove Karl Finnegan's fingerprints and deleted CCTV footage from Cabra Garda Station. The State, represented by Cathleen Noctor SC, countered that these were matters for the jury and that Jahiri's legal teams had access to all materials. Noctor noted that Jahiri's claims regarding the evidence were rejected by the jury and that his assertions about procedural failures were unsupported. The three-judge court, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, reserved its judgment in the matter.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Violent murderer Jahiri, who punched barrister during trial, claims gardai planted evidence. Charges or matters: both charges. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• September 21, 2012 Incident
• April 2017 Incident
• September 21 Other
• 2023-05-23 Publication

Why: Photo: Collins) A convicted murderer who assaulted a barrister during his trial and conducted his own appeal because he can't find a lawyer to represent him, has claimed that gardaí planted evidence against him during their investigation. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report