Film-maker told to leave court

Documentary film-maker Gemma O’Doherty was ordered out of a court yesterday when she offered to give evidence in a case involving three members of one family.

Ms O’Doherty, who is showing her documentary on Ireland’s longest-missing person, six-year-old Mary Boyle, in towns around Ireland, was ordered out of Ballyshannon District Court by Judge Kevin Kilrane when he was threatening to jail one member of a family, Joe McNulty, for contempt of court.

Ms O’Doherty stepped from the back of the court as Mr McNulty was asking the judge to make a letter from a deceased garda, Michael Lawless, available for his defence and that of his father Thomas McNulty and mother Florence McNulty.

Ms O’Doherty said: “I think as an Irish citizen I have a right to give evidence in relation to this letter.”

The judge, who said this was the first time the letter had been mentioned after a series of adjournments for discoveries, said discovery was now closed.

He ordered Ms O’Doherty out of the court.

Her interruption in the case came during a series of allegations by the McNulty family, including a claim of injustice, and about the charges being on file since February 2014 despite their efforts to get a hearing.

Thomas McNulty, 58, and his son Joseph, 34, both of Bundoran, are accused of threatening behaviour to provoke a breach of the peace in Bundoran on February 10, 2014.

Ms McNulty, 57, is also accused of assaulting Garda Helen Munnelly on the same date.

She said: “We need that letter to defend ourselves. Michael Lawless was a good, honest garda.

“He talked about untouchables,” she added.

The family’s defence solicitor James Corbett told the court that he was withdrawing from representation.

Ms McNulty said: “We are getting legal advice from Gemma O’Doherty.”

Judge Kilrane adjourned the hearing to September 30 and requested gardaí to attempt to find the letter.