Father’s murder trial given new date as son faces separate charge

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Paul Wells Jnr was charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of his father, Paul Wells Senior, by disposing of a chainsaw, a report of a Central Criminal Court hearing said.

His father was charged with murdering Kenneth O'Brien in Finglas on 15 or 16 January 2016. On 22 January 2018, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy adjourned the father’s case and set a new trial date of 2 October 2018.

Michael O'Higgins SC, defending Mr Wells Snr, said there was relevant material outstanding from Australia, where Mr O'Brien had lived for several years. He sought a new trial date so the case could proceed without interruption.

Prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC said obtaining the information would take three months and agreed that seeking it was legitimate.

This report covers an earlier stage of the case. Later developments are not reported here.