Case No. 2629Murder · Co. Dublin · 22 Feb 2022
Jury in Diarmuid Phelan murder trial to resume deliberations on Friday
The jury in the Central Criminal Court trial of law professor Diarmuid Phelan, who denies the murder of trespasser Keith Conlon at his Tallaght farm in February 2022, spent about four hours deliberating on Tuesday before being sent home, with deliberations set to resume on Friday afternoon.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court30 Dec
5 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports82 statements extracted from the articles
- whatPhelan is a senior counsel and law professor at Trinity College Dublin (irishtimes.com)
- whatConlon was a father of four (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe deceased was shot in the back of the head as he turned away (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe prosecution case is that two of three shots were fired into the air and the third connected with Conlon (irishmirror.ie)
- whatConlon was shot in the back of the head when he had turned away to leave (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe defence position is that Phelan accidentally hit Conlon while firing three warning shots (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThree men - Keith Conlon, Kallum Coleman and Robin Duggan - had trespassed on Phelan's land (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe three men were hunting foxes or badgers (irishmirror.ie)
- whatPhelan shot a dog with his Winchester rifle before the three men emerged (irishmirror.ie)
- whatPhelan fired three shots from his Smith & Wesson revolver (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe three spent rounds in the revolver were described as possibly crow-shot (irishmirror.ie)
- whatDiarmuid Phelan is 56, a barrister, law lecturer and farmer (irishmirror.ie)
- whatPhelan pleaded not guilty to murdering Keith Conlon (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThree men trespassed on Phelan's land: Keith Conlon, Kallum Coleman, and Robin Duggan (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThree men exploded from the woods after the dog was shot (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThree men – Keith Conlon, Kallum Coleman and Robin Duggan – had trespassed on a wooded area of Phelan's land while hunting foxes or badgers. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatPhelan became concerned about a dog running loose on his land towards his sheep. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatAfter the dog was shot, three men immediately 'exploded' from the woods and began threatening Phelan. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe State's case is that two of the three shots were fired into the air and the third connected with Conlon. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe prosecution's case is that Conlon was shot in the back of the head when he had turned away to leave. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe prosecution says Phelan intended to kill or cause serious injury to Conlon. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatDiarmuid Phelan is a senior counsel and law professor at Trinity College, Dublin (irishtimes.com)
- whatKeith Conlon was a father of four (irishtimes.com)
- whatPhelan was concerned about lambing ewes when the incident occurred (irishtimes.com)
- whatPhelan shot the lurcher dog, after which there were heated exchanges and Conlon and Coleman followed him up a field (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe prosecution says Conlon was shot in the back of the head as he turned away (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe defence case is that Phelan was entitled to discharge the firearm as a legitimate act of self-defence (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe defence says the firearm was discharged without intent to hit Conlon and the entry of the bullet was an accident (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe murder took place at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, Dublin 24 (irishmirror.ie)
- whereHazelgrove was formerly a golf course in Tallaght (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe incident occurred at Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, Dublin 24. (dublinlive.ie)
- whenThe jury began deliberating at 10.33am on 31 December 2024 (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- whenThe murder occurred on 24 February 2022 (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe incident occurred on 24 February 2022. (dublinlive.ie)
- whenConlon was pronounced brain dead at Tallaght hospital on 24 February 2022, two days after being shot (irishtimes.com)
- weaponThe prosecution case is that two shots were fired into the air by Phelan from his Smith & Wesson revolver and a third penetrated Conlon's body (irishtimes.com)
- weaponPhelan shot a dog with his Winchester rifle (irishmirror.ie)
- weaponPhelan shot the dog with his Winchester rifle. (dublinlive.ie)
- weaponPhelan fired three shots from his Smith and Wesson revolver. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationBallistic expert Detective Garda Seamus O'Donnell testified that pest control ammunition was lethal at short distances (irishmirror.ie)
- chargePhelan pleaded not guilty to the murder of Keith Conlon at Hazlegrove farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght (irishtimes.com)
- chargeDiarmuid Phelan, 56, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Keith 'Bono' Conlon, 36. (dublinlive.ie)
- chargePhelan pleaded not guilty to the murder of Keith Conlon (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe prosecution says Phelan had the necessary intent to kill or cause serious injury for murder (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury was directed to begin deliberations at 10am on Tuesday (irishtimes.com)
- courtThree possible verdicts are open to the jury: murder, manslaughter or acquittal (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial was in its 10th week when it resumed (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury consists of nine men and three women (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial opened before the jury on 16 October and was listed to last six weeks (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial was adjourned on 12 December to resume on 30 December (irishtimes.com)
- courtRóisín Lacey SC, with John Byrne SC, closed the prosecution case (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge sent the jury home at 4.45pm on Monday (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe jury opted to begin deliberations at 10am on Tuesday morning (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial broke on 12 December due to juror unavailability (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe judge's charge to the jury continued for a fifth day on Monday (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe judge had spent four days delivering her charge prior to Christmas (irishmirror.ie)
- courtA 'path to verdict' document was provided to the jury (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe jury is composed of nine men and three women (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe judge told the jury there were three verdicts they could return: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty (irishmirror.ie)
- courtSelf defence was raised by the defendant (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe presiding judge is Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- courtThe jury panel consists of nine men and three women (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- courtThe judge asked the jury to be unanimous in their verdict (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- courtThe judge thanked the jury for their attendance (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe judge went through a path to verdict document with the jury on Monday evening (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- courtThree verdicts are open: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe jurors were given 12 copies of the path to verdict document (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial broke on 12 December due to juror unavailability and the case running over its allotted time (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- courtThe judge spent four days delivering her charge prior to Christmas (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThree verdicts are open to the jury: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtThe judge spent four days delivering her charge and summarising the evidence prior to Christmas. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtThe trial began at the Central Criminal Court on 16 October before Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury consists of nine men and three women and the trial is in its tenth week (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe three possible verdicts are not guilty, guilty of murder, and not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury was sent out just after 10.30am on Tuesday to begin considering its verdict (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge recharged the jury on some aspects of the evidence at 12.50pm (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury deliberated for a total of about four hours before being sent home just before 4pm (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury will not return to court until Friday afternoon to resume considering its verdict (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe route to verdict document suggests the jury consider four questions addressing intent, honest belief in need for force, and whether force was excessive (irishtimes.com)
- otherPhelan is a barrister, law lecturer and farmer who owns Hazelgrove (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHazelgrove was formerly a golf course (irishmirror.ie)
- otherPhelan is a barrister, law lecturer and farmer who owns Hazelgrove, formerly a golf course in Tallaght. (dublinlive.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 31 Dec2024Jury in Diarmuid Phelan murder trial to resume considering its verdict on Friday
Reports that the jury began deliberations on Tuesday 31 December 2024, deliberated for about four hours, and will resume on Friday 3 January 2025. Provides detail on the prosecution and defence cases, the route to verdict document, and the circumstances of the shooting.
victim, Keith Conlon, 36, male, irish (judged from name)Keith Conlonaccused, Diarmuid Phelan, 56, male, named, irish (judged from name)Diarmuid Phelan - 31 Dec2024Jury begins deliberations in trial of professor who denies murdering trespasser
Reports the jury beginning deliberations at 10:33am on 31 December 2024, details of the 'path to verdict' document and the three possible verdicts, and sets out the prosecution and defence cases regarding the shooting, including the use of a Winchester rifle and a Smith and Wesson revolver.
victim, Keith 'Bono' Conlon, 36, male, irish (judged from name)Keith 'Bono' Conlonaccused, Diarmuid Phelan, 56, male, named, irish (judged from name)Diarmuid Phelan - 31 Dec2024Jury begins deliberations in trial of law professor Diarmuid Phelan
Details the jury's start of deliberations, the path to verdict document, the three possible verdicts, and provides extensive background on the shooting including the prosecution and defence cases, the weapons used, and the self-defence legal framework.
accused, Diarmuid Phelan, 56, male, named, irish (judged from name)Diarmuid Phelanvictim, Keith Conlon, 36, male, irish (judged from name)Keith Conlon - 31 Dec2024Jury to begin considering verdict in Diarmuid Phelan murder trial
Reports the judge's final charge to the jury, the 'path to verdict' document, the jury's decision to begin deliberations at 10am Tuesday, and details of the prosecution and defence cases including the three shots fired, the self-defence argument, and the ballistic expert's testimony.
victim, Keith Conlon, 36, male, irish (judged from name)Keith Conlonaccused, Diarmuid Phelan, 56, male, named, irish (judged from name)Diarmuid Phelan - 30 Dec2024Jury to begin considering verdict in murder trial of law professor Diarmuid Phelan on Tuesday
Reports the judge's charge concluding on Monday 30 December 2024, the three possible verdicts, and the jury being directed to begin deliberations at 10am Tuesday. Provides details of the prosecution and defence cases including the shooting circumstances, the weapon used, and the closing arguments by both sides.
victim, Keith Conlon, 36, male, irish (judged from name)Keith Conlonaccused, Diarmuid Phelan, 56, male, named, irish (judged from name)Diarmuid Phelan