Murder trial of law professor Diarmuid Phelan to open on Wednesday

The trial of a law professor, Diarmuid Phelan, on a charge of murdering a man in Tallaght, Co Dublin, is expected to open at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday.
The prosecution case was due to be opened on Tuesday afternoon but, as a result of delays arising from issues raised by some jury members, it was deferred to Wednesday.
Mr Phelan has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Keith Conlon at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, Co Dublin, on February 24th 2022.
Aged 54, with an address in South Dublin and formerly with an address at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, the jury has heard he is a senior counsel and law professor at Trinity College Dublin.
Members of Mr Conlon’s family were in the packed court on Tuesday when the trial was due to open before Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford and a jury of nine men and three women. Members of Mr Phelan’s family were also present.
When sending the jury away on Tuesday, the judge stressed they were not to discuss the case with anyone else and should decide the verdict only on the evidence heard in court.
The trial is expected to last six weeks.