Murder victim’s partner hits out at trial move
THE devastated former partner of a father-of-two who was stabbed to death has hit out at plans to move the murder trial from Newry to Belfast. Amanda O’Riordan (right), whose former partner Brian Phelan was killed in 2018, said: “We have been through hell since Brian was killed and it feels like the pain is never going to end. Brian deserves justice.”
THE devastated former partner of a father-of-two who was stabbed to death has hit out at plans to move the murder trial from Newry to Belfast.
Daniel Martin James Carroll (27), from Edward Street in Portadown, has denied murdering Brian Phelan, who died at the scene after being stabbed on the Carrivekeeney Road on the outskirts of Newry on July 26, 2018.
His trial was originally due to start on March 2, the date of his daughter’s eighth birthday, but that was postponed.
The Belfast Telegraph understands Mr Carroll’s defence team has applied for the location of the trial to be changed.
There is due to be a hearing at Laganside Court in Belfast on March 6 to set a new date and determine the application.
Amanda O’Riordan, Mr Phelan’s ex-partner and mother of their two children — Georgia (7) and Brian (4) — said she was furious after being told that the trial may now take place in Belfast rather than Newry.
“This is outrageous,” she told the Belfast Telegraph.
“My liaison officer told me the trial had been put back, but not only that. The defence are asking for it to be held in Belfast and not Newry. I’m not happy with this.
“We have been through hell since Brian was killed and it feels like the pain is never going to end. Brian deserves justice.”
A spokesman for the Public Prosecution Service said: “As proceedings are live, we cannot comment on this case.”
Ms O’Riordan, who said her 13-year relationship with Mr Phelan ended a couple of years before his brutal death, told of the heartache of losing the Bessbrook man in such terrible circumstances.
“Our children are growing up without their daddy. It’s just not right,” she said.
“They don’t understand why they’ll never see him again, or why he will never be coming back. Brian’s daddy, Paddy, never got out of his bed after his son’s death right up until he died from a heart attack last November. He was 65.
“Brian’s 60-year-old mother, Angela, isn’t well. She certainly wouldn’t be fit to travel from Newry to Belfast every day if they moved the trial there.
“My wee boy suffers from separation anxiety issues, so I couldn’t leave him with anyone to go to a trial in Belfast. Even if that wasn’t the case, I couldn’t afford childcare for him or my daughter if I had to go to Belfast. I don’t have any help at all.
“This isn’t fair. If they move the trial to Belfast, Brian’s family won’t be able to attend it and that means Brian won’t get any proper justice.
“Our family has suffered enough without this.”
Ms O’Riordan said she was told that the man accused of murdering her former partner may get his case heard in Belfast rather than Newry because he is under threat.
“There are no circumstances in which I could support this trial being moved to suit the accused,” she added.