Stephen Penrose skips murder trial after hiring new lawyers

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

Stephen Penrose, accused of murdering Philip Finnegan, declined to attend his trial at the Central Criminal Court on 20 October 2021; proceedings continued in his absence. He has pleaded not guilty to murdering Finnegan at Rahin Woods, Kildare, on 10 August 2016.

The jury was told Penrose had appointed solicitor Michael French and barristers Anthony Sammon SC and Eoghan Weldon BL. The trial continued with the jury viewing CCTV footage from locations including Kilcock, Leixlip and Edenderry.