Judge orders senior barrister accused of murder to attend court for DPP's directions

The court has previously allowed Law professor Diarmuid Phelan temporary variations to his bail terms

Diarmuid Phelan (pictured) is charged with the murder of father of four, Keith Conlon, at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, on February 22. File picture: Collins Courts

Prosecutors expect to serve a book of evidence on a senior barrister accused of murdering a man in a shooting on farmland in Dublin in about five weeks, a court heard.

Law professor Diarmuid Phelan, 53, is charged with the murder of father of four, Keith Conlon, at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, on February 22.

After his dog was killed, Mr Conlon, from Kiltalown Park in Tallaght, was shot in the back of the head during the incident on Mr Phelan's farm. The dog breeder was taken to Tallaght University Hospital but died two days later.

The High Court refused bail in March, but the Court of Appeal overturned that decision the following month and released Mr Phelan on a €100,000 bond with a range of conditions.

The case was listed again at Dublin District Court on Thursday. However, he did not have to attend.

State solicitor Tom Conlon asked Judge Kelly to adjourn the case until Monday, when the Director of Public Prosecutions' directions will be "formally conveyed". He also added that the book of evidence would be served on the accused on October 3.

Bail conditions

Judge Kelly ordered the accused to attend court on September 5, noting there would be an application to vary bail conditions. The court has previously allowed Mr Phelan temporary variations to his bail terms.

In May, the court briefly suspended them to allow him a "short trip" for two days. Later, it also granted an order for gardaí to hand over copies of his interview recordings to the defence.

The bail terms stated he must obey a 10pm to 8am curfew at a Garda-approved address, sign on daily at a Garda Station, and be contactable by mobile phone. He had to give gardaí access to all his Irish and foreign bank accounts.

He must stay out of Tallaght and out of his properties in Wexford and have no contact with prosecution witnesses in the case. The lawyer had to surrender his passport, and must not leave the State, join a gun club, or purchase any firearms.

At a previous stage, the bail proceedings heard he shot a dog using his rifle or when the dog owner and his companions remonstrated that he had taken the revolver and fired three shots in their direction. Mr Phelan claimed he was under various threats at the farm.