Graham Dwyer was a keen flyer of model aircraft, his trial heard.
He worked on them almost every day, regularly ordered parts for them from specialist websites around the world, and flew them in races almost every weekend.
His interest developed properly at a flying club in the Phoenix Park and then in Shankill before joining Roundwood Model Aeronautical Club, a club for advanced enthusiasts, in Roundwood, Co Wicklow. He was also a member of the Model Aeronautics Council of Ireland and Shankill Radio Flying Club.
As well as flying the planes at weekends, he would also sometimes go on Wednesdays and Thursdays straight from work, while his wife would use her free time to go sailing in Dún Laoghaire.
He once came fifth in the East Coast Scale Championships.
A Youtube account, believed to be Dwyer’s, features a number of videos which show him flying model airplanes in Wicklow.
The YouTube username is ‘IRL3543’.
During the trial, Chris Clarke, general secretary of the Model Aeronautics Council of Ireland, said Dwyer had been a member since 2000. He said his membership number was IRL3543 and one of the email address on it was IRL3543@gmail.com.
Also giving evidence, Christof Hylinski, a partner at Hydarulic Tattoos, South King Street, Dublin, said his company sent an email about a tattoo on April 28th, 2011, to irl3543@gmail.com.
The description for one of the videos reads: "Graham Dwyer Hangar 9 Denight Special. DDT Racer, Miss Dallas 6S 35c 3300mah with 100amp esc and Actro 24-5 Futaba 3010 servos and rx."
Another reads: “Great planes little toni OS 95v quits forcing dead stick high speed landing at Roundwood model aeroclub, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Flown by Graham Dwyer”
