O’Reilly passes up chance of bail

MURDER accused Joe O’Reilly passed up a chance to apply for bail, yesterday, at his second court appearance since being charged with the killing of his wife Rachel.

O’Reilly, of Lambay View, Beldaragh, The Naul, Co Dublin, who has been detained in Cloverhill Prison since his arrest on Friday of last week, gave his consent to a further two-week remand in custody.

He will appear again on November 10 when, the court heard, the book of evidence will be served.

The defence will have an opportunity to study the book of evidence and raise issues with material contained in it before any trial date is set.

The accused will also retain the right to apply to be released on bail at his next appearance or at any time up to and during his trial. He has two young children with his late wife who have been in the care of extended family since his arrest.

O’Reilly was brought into the courtroom at Cloverhill Court for the brief hearing and stood in silence throughout while counsel for the State updated Judge Miriam Malone on the progress with the case.

The 35-year-old former advertising company employee was dressed in the same casual trousers and fleece pullover he was wearing when he appeared in court a week earlier, just two hours after his arrest.

He faces a single charge of murdering his 30-year-old wife Rachel O’Reilly at their home The Naul, on October 4, 2004, an offence which carries a mandatory life sentence on conviction.

His case was called third in a list of 200 defendants due before the packed court yesterday. No member of the public made contact with him while he waited for his case to be called.

Members of Rachel’s family, however, were in court and listened to the proceedings. Rachel was adopted and raised by Rose and Jim Callely but had been reunited, shortly before her death, with her birth mother, Teresa Lowe, who attended yesterday’s hearing.