Kallum Coleman jailed for four months for contempt of court

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

Kallum Coleman was sentenced to six months in prison, with the final two months suspended, for contempt of court after failing to give evidence at Diarmuid Phelan’s murder trial. Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford backdated the sentence to 7 January 2025, when Coleman first entered Garda custody.

Coleman appeared before the Central Criminal Court in Cork on 20 January 2025 for the contempt hearing. He pleaded guilty.

Coleman had failed to answer a witness order and was due to give evidence in October 2024. The judge said his evidence was vital because he had been beside Keith Conlon, but she was not saying the prosecution failed because Coleman was absent.

On 3 January 2025, a jury found Phelan not guilty of murdering Conlon at Hazelgrove Farm in Tallaght. Phelan said he had acted in self-defence and that the shooting was accidental.

Defence barrister Tim O’Leary cited as mitigation that Coleman was extremely stressed and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing his friend’s death. The judge said many people suffered from stress or PTSD but still managed to attend court to give evidence.

Coleman apologised for his actions. The judge said a custodial sentence was needed and a fine was unsuitable for such a serious case.