POST mortem and ballistics reports have been sent to the DPP as prosecutors prepare their case against a senior lawyer charged with murder, a court heard.
Iarmuid Rossa Phelan, 53, a law professor, has been charged with the murder of father of four, Keith Conlon, in a February farmland shooting in Dublin.
The case against him was further adjourned by order of the DPP when he appeared in court in Dublin today. The court also heard that Phelan would demand a temporary relaxation of his bail conditions later this week.
Judge Bryan Smyth sent him back on bail.
Phelan is charged with the murder of Mr Conlon at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, on 22 February. Mr Conlon, a dog breeder from Kiltalown Park in Tallaght, was seriously injured in an incident on land at the foot of the Dublin mountains, and was pronounced dead in hospital two days later.
DPP instructions are required in the case and the court heard earlier that further charges had been recommended and under consideration.
Today, on behalf of the prosecution, Jane McGowan BL told Judge Smyth that she understood instructions would be given soon, but asked for a postponement until September.
Garda Sergeant Michael McGrath said a file had been sent to the DPP and a ballistics report and a post-mortem report had been sent in recent weeks.
Further charges are currently being considered, he said.
Defense attorney Dara Robinson said he invited the court to flag a September suspension against the state, meaning the charges could be dropped if no progress is made by the next date.
He said this was not unreasonable, as the case would have been in court for more than six months at that stage.
Det Sgt McGrath said Gardai was working as quickly as possible and had only recently received the post-mortem report.
On that basis, Judge Smyth said he was not inclined to view the case as compelling and said it was a “serious matter”. “
Robinson said he understood the court’s point. He asked for the case to be postponed to this Thursday first to apply for a short-term change in bail conditions.
The defense would ask the court to change “a single case on short notice”.
Mrs. McGowan said there was permission for this. Mr Phelan, who was in court, would be excused for the bail variation hearing, the judge said.
The case was adjourned to July 28, only to be adjourned again to September 1 for instructions from the DPP.
Phelan was granted a bail of 100,000 euros in April under “strict” conditions. Under the terms, he must live at an approved address, observe a curfew there from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. and report to a named Garda station between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily.
In May, his bail conditions were temporarily relaxed so that he could take a “short trip” with his family.