Three charged in Limerick over collapse of Keane trial

Three people have appeared at Limerick District Court charged in connection with the collapse of a murder trial at the Central…

Three people have appeared at Limerick District Court charged in connection with the collapse of a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin in 2003.

The trial of Liam Keane collapsed after several key witnesses denied making statements identifying Mr Keane as the killer of Eric Leamy (19) in August 2001.

Appearing before Judge Tom O'Donnell yesterday were Roy Behan (25), St Senan's Street, St Mary's Park; David Murphy (22), the Lee Estate; and Amanda McNamara (22), formerly of the Lee Estate, all in Limerick.

Mr Behan is accused of committing perjury while under oath as a witness in the trial of Mr Keane on November 3rd, 2003, by "knowingly and falsely swearing" that he did not see a row which led to the death of Mr Leamy.

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Ms McNamara is charged with committing perjury on October 30th, 2003, in the same trial by "knowingly and falsely swearing" that she did not know where she was when Mr Leamy was killed.

Mr Murphy is accused of contempt of court by "refusing to give evidence" in the same trial on October 30th, 2003, at the Central Criminal Court.

They were arrested in Limerick yesterday morning.

There was no objection to bail and Judge O'Donnell remanded them in custody with consent to bail on their own bond of €250 to appear again before Limerick District Court on July 12th. Mr Keane had denied murdering Mr Leamy in August 2001. He walked free from the Central Criminal Court after the DPP ordered that a nolle prosequi should be entered with his presumption of innocence still intact.

At the time, Mr Justice Paul Carney remarked that a number of people appeared to suffer "collective amnesia" in the case.