Robert Lawlor pleads not guilty to attempted murder

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

Robert Lawlor pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Fiona Mitchell at Moatview Avenue, Priorswood, Dublin, on 26 May 2018. He also pleaded not guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and shooting a dog, endangering its health and welfare, at the same location on that date.

He pleaded not guilty to making a threat to Rachel Kirwan to kill or cause serious harm to Fiona Mitchell and her son Derek Mitchell at Donaghmede, Dublin, on an unknown date between 1 and 31 January 2018. The proceedings were reported on 18 November 2019.

Fiona Mitchell told the Central Criminal Court that, at about 1am on 26 May 2018, she heard her dog barking and saw two men on a wall. She said she then saw Mr Lawlor facing her with a gun at her patio door. She ran from the kitchen, told her son to get out and heard two loud bangs. She said her dog was shot dead that day.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel Patrick McGrath SC, Ms Mitchell agreed she did not know Mr Lawlor and recognised him only from Facebook and Instagram. Counsel said she had not told the first garda she spoke to that she recognised him. She replied that she must not have done so, but was not in the right frame of mind.

The trial was continuing before Mr Justice Paul McDermott.