Anabel's case verdicts 'baffled lawyer'

A LAWYER for the man convicted of the manslaughter of a teenage student outside Anabel's nightclub nearly five years ago told the three-judge Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday they are baffled as to how the verdicts in the case were rendered.

Michael O'Higgins SC, for Dermot Laide, said his side had great difficulty with the situation and it had left them with a deep sense of unease which they invited the court to share.

Counsel was making closing submissions on the fourth and final day of the appeal by Laide, aged 23, of Rossvale, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, who was jailed for four years for the killing of Brian Murphy outside the nightclub at the Burlington Hotel on Sussex Road, Dublin, on August 31, 2000.

Laide received a concurrent two-year sentence when found guilty of violent disorder.

The three-judge court reserved judgment on the appeal against their convictions by Laide and by Desmond Ryan, aged 23, from Cunningham Road, Dalkey, Dublin, who was sentenced to nine months for violent disorder at the time.

Following his conviction, Ryan was allowed complete his university examinations and he was later granted bail pending the appeal.

Late last year, the court rejected an appeal by Seán Mackey, aged 24, of South Park, Foxrock, Dublin, who was jailed for two years when convicted of violent disorder.

A fourth accused at the seven-week trial last year, Andrew Frame, aged 23, of Nutley Lane, Donnybrook, Dublin, was acquitted of violent disorder.

Among the 50 grounds of Laide's appeal, it is submitted the trial judge failed to ensure he received a fair trial having regard to the outcome of a process to edit the co-accused's statements.

It is also claimed there was prejudicial media coverage prior to and during the trial and that there were defects in the trial judge's charge.

Edward Comyn SC, for the DPP, said there had been some generally unwelcome publicity in relation to the trial and that had been acknowledged by the trial judge. He had treated some publicity very seriously and in respect of two publications had directed that representatives of them be brought before him.