State given four more weeks to complete book of evidence for 16-year-old charged with murder
The State has been granted a further four-week period to complete the book of evidence in the case of a 16-year-old boy charged with the murder of Dublin man Aidan O‘Kane, who was shot dead near his home in December last year.
At the Dublin Children’s Court this morning Judge Ann Ryan agreed to an application by the State to allow further time for the book of evidence in the case to be completed and served on the defendant.
State’s solicitor Tom Conlon told Judge Ryan said that progress was being made with the book evidence. He said a further three to four weeks were needed for it to be drafted and added that it was a “complicated matter”, involving 250 statements, the pathology report, mobile phone and CCTV evidence.
Judge Ryan also acceded to an application for by defence solicitor Margaret McEvilly for the case to be marked “peremptory against the State” meaning it will be struck out if the book of evidence is not ready to be served on the boy on the next date.
The slightly built teenager, who was dressed in a T-shirt top, tracksuit bottoms and white runners, was accompanied to court by his father and remained silent as Judge Ryan remanded him to appear again in the Children’s Court in four weeks.
Widower and father of one, Aidan O’Kane, a mechanic, who was aged 50, died following a row near his home at Shelmalier Road, in East Wall, Dublin 3, on December 7 last.
He was fatally wounded in the stomach, in a laneway between Shelmalier Road and Bargy Road, not far from his house.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be identified because he is a juvenile, was charged at the Children’s Court, in Smithfield, in Dublin, three days later.
On the boy’s first court appearance on December 10 last, Detective Sergeant Martin Connolly had said he arrested him at Store Street Garda station for the “offence of murder contrary to common law".
The north east inner city Dublin boy was then remanded in custody to St Patrick’s Institution, part of the Mountjoy Prison complex.
Shortly before Christmas he was granted High Court bail, after his sister was approved as an independent surety in the amount of €2,000.
