The trial of George Redmond on corruption charges which was due to begin tomorrow has been adjourned until October next because of media reporting of evidence in the Mahon tribunal which discredited him.
Mr Redmond (82) has pleaded not guilty to receiving £10,000 on a date between June 1st, 1985 and June 1st, 1986 as an inducement or reward for doing or forebearing to do anything in respect of a compulsory purchase order by Dublin City Council on 167 acres of land situated at Bussardstown and Coolmine.
Brendan Grehan SC, for Mr Redmond, told Judge Joseph Matthews that reference have been made to his client throughout the Quarryvale module of the Mahon tribunal, particularly during the evidence of developer Tom Gilmartin.
The trial of George Redmond on corruption charges has been adjourned until October
He applied to have the trial adjourned to a later date, when there was no longer a risk of daily reporting from witnesses who might refer to Mr Redmond "in a derogatory way".
Judge Matthews said the media has a duty to report on matters of public interest, such as the Mahon tribunal, and publication of what is said by witnesses giving evidence is protected by privilege.
Pauline Walley SC, prosecuting, applied for the trial to continue tomorrow as planned. She suggested that Judge Matthews should be able to adequately advise jurors that they should not serve if they felt they would not be able to objectively determine Mr Redmond's guilt or innocence.
Judge Matthews said that it was fair and reasonable on the balance of justice to adjourn the case to a time when the Quarryvale module would be over and the evidence of Mr Gilmartin was no longer in the spotlight.
He said there was nothing that could be done to stop "the drip feeding" from the tribunal in relation to evidence that could weaken Mr Redmond's character.
He indicated that the media had been very professional in their reporting of the Mahon tribunal and refraining from reporting on Mr Redmond's upcoming trial but said the case had to be adjourned because "it's the wrong time" and the "parallel issues of the Mahon tribunal" will make it difficult for Mr Redmond to have a fair trial.