Dundon trial adjourned for disclosure on “set-up” allegation
The trial of two Limerick brothers charged with threatening to kill four members of the same family has been adjourned until tomorrow after their defence team sought further disclosure on an alleged attempt by a key prosecution witness to “set-up” one of the accused.
The Special Criminal Court trial of Wayne Dundon (aged 33) and his brother John Dundon (aged 29) opened briefly in Dublin this morning, but was adjourned after barristers for both men sought disclosure on telephone conversations held between one of the alleged victims and another man.
Wayne Dundon, of Lenihan Avenue, Limerick, pleaded not guilty to five counts of making threats to kill and two counts of obstructing the course of justice at addresses in Limerick city over a seven-month period between 2010 and 2011.
He denied making a threat to kill or cause serious harm to April Collins, and making a threat to April Collins to kill or cause serious harm to her brother Gareth Collins and her mother Alice Collins at Hyde Road, Limerick on March 25, 2011.
He pleaded not guilty to making a threat to Alice Collins to kill or cause serious harm to her son Gareth Collins and Jimmy Collins at Hyde Avenue, Limerick on September 30, 2010.
Wayne Dundon also pleaded not guilty to the intimidation of potential prosecution witnesses Alice and April Collins with the intention of obstructing the course of justice at Hyde Road on September 30, 2010.
His younger brother John Dundon, with an address at Hyde Road, Limerick, pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill April Collins and making a threat to April to kill her mother Alice Collins at an address on Hyde Road on the weekend of April 3 and 4 2011.
Counsel for Wayne Dundon, Mr Padraig Dwyer SC, told the non-jury court that he was seeking further disclosure in relation to an alleged threat made by April Collins to “set-up” his client.
He asked the court to order the release of as many as 100 audio tapes recording the telephone conversations of April Collins and another man between October 2010 and April 2011.
Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, ordered that the tapes of these telephone conversations, which are held by the governors of four different prisons, be released to the DPP for further disclosure to the defence.
He commented that the matter was “entirely unsatisfactory” as both the accused men and a large number of witnesses had been brought to the Special Criminal Court for the opening of the trial at “enormous cost”.
Mr Justice Butler remanded both Wayne and John Dundon in custody and adjourned the trial until tomorrow, February 22, at 2pm.
Before this morning’s trial, Wayne Dundon was charged with making a threat to April Collins to kill or cause serious harm to Elaine Walsh at Hyde Road, Limerick on March 25, 2011.
Mr Justice Butler remanded him in custody in relation to this charge until February 28 next.
