Accused seek access to possible recordings

Two men due to stand trial on a charge of murdering businessman Roy Collins five years ago are seeking recordings of communications between garda stations and prisons, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

Wayne Dundon, aged 35, of Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, Limerick, and Nathan Killeen, aged 23, of Hyde Rd, Prospect, are charged with the murder of Mr Collins, aged 35, at Coin Castle Amusements, Roxboro Rd Shopping Centre, Limerick, on April 9, 2009.

They are due to stand trial at the non-jury court on April 29.

Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha, defending Mr Killeen, told the court there were outstanding issues on disclosure, and among these was a defence request for disclosure of all communications between garda stations and amongst prosecution witnesses, some of whom were in prison at the time.

Michael O’Higgins, prosecuting, said it was clear the process of disclosure was becoming increasingly complicated and he proposed that the matter be put back until next week.

Mr Justice Paul Butler said the court could fix next Wednesday for the court constituted to try the case to sit and deal with the matter.

Mr Ó Lideadha said he thought the prosecution was to give some outline as to the potential sources of relevant information, in particular any issue of recording at Henry Street and Roxboro Road Garda Stations in Limerick, and the prisons involved which appeared to have recording systems in place.

Counsel said the defence wanted to know about communication between gardaí and the prosecution witnesses who were in prison.

Mr O’Higgins said as far as the prison recordings were concerned, it had to be established whether there was a call, roughly when it was made, and how long ago it was archived.

He said the process was “not something that can immediately be done”.