Court of Criminal Appeal sets date for Nevin hearing

The Court of Criminal Appeal has fixed a date in January for the hearing part of convicted murderer Catherine Nevin's bid to have her conviction for the conviction for the murder of her husband Tom declared a miscarriage of justice.

The CCA will hear Mrs Nevin's application for an order requiring the DPP to answer the question whether three witnesses at her trial William McClean, Gerard Heapes and John Jones were ever state informers, or if Mr McClean had paramilitary connections.

She is also seeking an order that the DPP disclose a range of material and documents which she claims is relevant to her claim of a miscarriage of justice.

It is contended that the documents being sought, including material on the Dublin Monaghan bombing and garda security files on the three men, are relevant and will assist her in undermining the three men's credibility.

Ms Nevin also claims the documents may also potentially undermine the credibility of another State witness at her trial, Mr Patrick Russell.

The DPP has opposing handing over the material and contends the issues were already considered at Ms Nevins' trial at the Central Criminal Court and during her appeal.

Today at the Court of Criminal Appeal Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman fixed the hearing of the motion to January 19th next. The hearing is expected to take a day and a half.

Mrs Nevin was found guilty after a 42 day trial in April 2000 of the murder of her husband Tom at their pub, Jack White's Inn, Brittas Bay, on March 19, 1996.

Mrs Nevin (aged 55) was also convicted on three counts of soliciting three different men to kill her husband in 1989 and 1990, six years before his murder.

She is serving a life sentence on the murder charge and a concurrent seven year term on the soliciting charges. Ms Nevin's appeal against her conviction was dismissed in 2003 by the CCA.