Law professor’s murder trial delayed to October

The trial was due to begin this week and was expected to last three to four weeks in total

The trial of a former Trinity law professor who was accused of murder in February 2022 has been adjourned until October of this year due to “an issue with an expert report which could not be resolved immediately”.

The contents of this report remain unclear, however the Central Criminal Court expects to hear an update on its status in July.

Dr Diarmuid Phelan, who was an associate professor at the law school and specialised in EU and competition law, is on trial for the murder of Keith Conlon which took place on Phelan’s farmland in Tallaght, Dublin.

Phelan was elected Fellow in 2014, and has also served as a member of College Board.

Conlon was shot in the back of the head and died two days later in hospital.

Phelan maintains that at the time of the incident he believed he was under threat and was “terrified”.

Phelan was initially refused bail in March 2022 as he was seen as a flight risk, however it was later set at €100,000, which he met. 

The terms of his bail were then relaxed to allow him a “short trip” with his family in May 2022.

Stephen Conneely

Stephen Conneely is the Deputy Editor of Trinity News in its 71st volume, and is a Senior Sophister student of Modern Languages. He previously served as Deputy News Analysis Editor and Correspondent for Unions.