Man accused of Bray gym murder and attempted murder of Pete Taylor sent for trial

A 31-year-old man accused of the murder of Bobby Messett and attempted murder of two other men including boxing trainer Pete Taylor has been sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court.

A 31-year-old man accused of the murder of Bobby Messett and the attempted murder of two other men, including boxing trainer Pete Taylor, has been sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court.

Gerard Cervi, of no fixed abode but who is from the East Wall area in Dublin, was charged in September with the murder of Mr Messett.

The 50-year-old father-of-three from Bray, Co. Wicklow, was shot dead as he answered the door at the Bray boxing club just before 7am on the morning of June 5 last.

He had been about to start an early morning fitness session.

A number of shots were fired and two other men, including Pete Taylor, aged 57, were shot and injured in the attack.

Mr Cervi, who had been granted legal aid, was further charged last month with attempted murder of Pete Taylor and Ian Britton, aged 35, who was shot in the leg.

Mr Taylor, father of world boxing champ Katie Taylor, received a gunshot wound to his torso during the incident.

The defendant faced his eleventh hearing when he appeared again today at Cloverhill District Court before Judge Miriam Walsh.

A book of evidence was completed by the Director of Public Prosecutions and served on him.

Judge Walsh made an order sending him forward for trial on indictment to the Central Criminal Court on all three charges.

A date for his next hearing in that court has not yet been allocated.

The district court does not have the power to adjudicate on bail in murder cases.

Mr Cervi has 14 days to inform the prosecution if he intends to use an alibi in his defence at his trial.