Kerry murder trial hears how gardaí traced movements of seized mobile phones

Proceedings at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork finished earlier than usual

Six people are accused of murdering 43-year-old Thomas Dooley. Picture via Facebook

The Tralee graveyard murder trial went into its 20th day on Monday as the jury heard evidence of the tracking of the movements and calls on various phones that were seized as part of the investigation.

The jury heard little more than one hour of evidence on Monday as they did not return to court until the afternoon and proceedings finished earlier than usual.

Detective Garda Patrick Doyle explained to the 12 male and two female jurors, including two substitute members, at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork how global positioning systems (gps) operated to provide information on the location and movement of any given mobile phone. 

In the first set of data described by this witness the detective was able to tell the jury of the route taken from Cork City to Rathass cemetery and back again by another route, and the time taken for the journeys.

All six of the accused who are on trial deny the charge of murdering 43-year-old Tom Dooley from Hazelwood Drive, Killarney, at New Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, on October 5, 2022. 

Five defendants in the case — all with the surname Dooley — Patrick, 36, from Arbutus Grove, Killarney; Thomas Sr., 43, from the halting site, Carrigrohane Road; Thomas Jr., 21, from the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork; Michael, 29, of the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork, and Daniel, 42, of An Carraigin, Connolly Park, Tralee, County Kerry, are on trial, as is the sixth defendant who is a teenager.

Only 21-year-old Thomas Dooley Jr. faces the second charge that he intentionally or recklessly caused serious harm to Siobhán Dooley, the wife of the deceased man. He also denies this count.

The trial resumes at 10am on July 2.