Keane murder case collapse: Community service orders for two locals

Two people charged in connection with the collapse of a high-profile murder trial almost three years have escaped jail sentences.

David Murphy (aged 21) Lee Estate, Limerick and Amanda McNamara (aged 23), formerly of Lee Estate, Limerick, were both charged in relation to events which led to the collapse of the Liam Keane murder trial in November 2003 at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

The murder trial collapsed after a number of other people, including the two accused, denied making statements identifying Mr Keane as the killer of 19-year-old Eric Leamy.

Liam Keane, who was charged with his murder, walked free from the Central Criminal Court in Dublin after the DPP ordered that a ‘Nolle Prosequi’ should be entered with his presumption of innocence still in tact.

Mr Leamy died on August 28, 2001, after he suffered a fatal stab wound to his side.

There were emotional scenes today when the victim's heartbroken mother, Geraldine Leamy, hastily left the courtroom as Judge Caroll Moran began to impose sentences.

Mrs Leamy, who continues to wear a locket containing a photo of her son around her neck, has attended many of the court proceedings relating to the collapse of the Liam Keane murder trial nearly three years ago.

Before imposing community service orders on both of the accused today, Judge Carroll Moran described their behaviour as serious, because it went "to undermine the whole fabric of the criminal justice system".

Amanda McNamara, who admitted committing perjury at the high-profile murder trial, was due to give evidence that she saw Liam Keane stab Eric Leamy, Judge Moran said.

"Her evidence would have been that she saw Liam Keane stab Eric Leamy and also that she saw him strike the injured party with a piece of timber," said Judge Moran.

"Her evidence would have been important in supporting the prosecution's case against Mr Keane," he added.

When called to give evidence at the trial however, Ms McNamara said she couldn't remember what she had seen because she was an alcoholic and a drug addict, and that what she had told gardaí was based on rumours.

The 23-year-old mother of one later admitted to gardaí that she had lied about not being able to remember and her admission resulted in the subsequent perjury charge.

Judge Moran said he had to take into account that this admission helped gardaí charge her with perjury, an offence which is "notoriously difficult to prosecute let alone get a conviction on", added Judge Moran.

The judge said he also accepted garda evidence that Ms McNamara was motivated by fear for herself and her family, when she refused to give evidence at the murder trial.

Judge Moran also accepted that David Murphy who pleaded guilty to a charge of contempt of court at the same trial was also acting out of fear and that a "regime of fear" had existed in the area where he lived.

At a previous court hearing, Judge Moran heard that Mr Murphy told gardai he would rather spent six months in jail than give evidence at the trial.

"I can come out of prison but I can't come out of a box," Mr Murphy said.

Judge Moran said the appropriate sentence for each charge was six months in prison but instead he imposed a community service order of 150 hours on Mr Murphy and 100 hours for Ms McNamara.