Gardai object to bail

A 34-year-old Dubliner accused of a double murder has been refused bail by the Central Criminal Court.

Jason O’Driscoll, with a previous address at Richmond Avenue, Fairview is charged with murdering 31-year-old Anthony Burnett and 25-year-old Joseph Redmond, Co. Louth on March 7th, 2012.

The two men were found shot dead in a burnt-out car in Ravensdale Forest Park that night. They’d stolen the car in Dublin in the early hours of that morning.

Diana Stuart BL applied to the court for bail. She said that her client’s mother, who was not in good health, was prepared to put up her life savings of €9,000 to secure bail for her son. She was also prepared to have him live with her in the family home.

Ms Stuart said that his brother was also willing to put forward €5,000. The barrister said that this could be taken as an indication of their faith that Mr O’Driscoll was not going to breach any conditions the court would impose.

However, the State called Detective Inspector Patrick Marry, the senior investigating officer in the case.

‘I’m strenuously objecting to Mr O’Driscoll’s bail,’ he said, outlining his reasons to Alexander Owens SC, prosecuting.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said he always had to be careful refusing bail when the trial was some months away.