Assault charges cast out in Franklin trial

All assault charges in the Denis Franklin trial in Cork came to nothing today when a judge ruled that statements by two accused were inadmissible because gardaí offered inducements and in the case of the third defendant there was simply no evidence.

In his judgement after more than a week of legal argument in the absence of the jury, Judge Patrick J Moran ruled that several alleged comments by the guards were inducements including the words, "Tell us the truth".