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Men face 4th trial for alleged tiger kidnapping after court reverses acquittals

Summary

Two Dublin men, Mark Farrelly (46) and Christopher Corcoran (69), were acquitted of a 2005 tiger kidnapping after a trial judge quashed their convictions. Their acquittals were later overturned by the Court of Criminal Appeal, which found the judge had erred in excluding mobile‑phone mast evidence. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought a declaration that the evidence had been wrongly excluded, and the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial. The men are now remanded to appear before the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to set a trial date. The case has seen four trials, with convictions, appeals, a jury disagreement, and a judge's direction to acquit, raising concerns about fairness and changing legal standards. The Court of Appeal concluded a fair retrial was possible and that justice required it.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Men face 4th trial for alleged tiger kidnapping after court reverses acquittals. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• January 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2016-07-21 Publication

Why: Mr Justice Birmingham said the defence apprehend that the DPP will be able to invoke 'JC 1' in order to have material admitted which would put them at a disadvantage. Defence account reported by CNI

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report