Murder rap man ‘abuses’ witness
A JUDGE has warned a murder accused that he will be taken to the cells and banned from participating in his own trial, where he is representing himself, if he continues to “abuse” and “ballyrag” witnesses.
Mr Justice Alexander Owens said he would not allow his courtroom to become “a circus” after the defendant Stephen Penrose accused a Garda Inspector, who he was cross- examining, of lying under oath.
“He is telling bullshit about me,” Mr Penrose shouted, before demanding that the witness be “dismissed” from his trial as his “word” could not be accepted.
Inspector Aidan
Hannon was giving evidence to the Central Criminal Court yesterday in the trial of Mr Penrose (38), who is charged with murdering a man whose decapitated body was buried in a shallow grave in a Kildare woods.
Mr Penrose, of
Newtown Court, Malahide Road, Coolock, Dublin 17, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Philip Finnegan (24) at Rahin Woods, Rahin, Edenderry, Co Kildare on August 10, 2016.
Circus
Mr Justice Owens warned the accused that he would be taken to the cells unless he obeyed the ruling of the court and would not allow the courtroom to become “a circus”.
Mr Penrose shouted: “This is a murder trial and he is lying under oath and should be dismissed from this whole trial.”
Raising his voice, Mr Justice Owens called Mr Penrose’s behaviour a contempt of court saying: “It will be necessary to have you taken to the cells and you won’t be allowed to participate in your own trial as a result of your own foolishness”.
The trial continues on Tuesday.