Cork murder trial: Judge assures jury no picture was taken of them

A murder trial jury’s fears that they may have been photographed by someone in court were allayed today by the judge who confirmed that no photograph had been taken.

During the Kieran Quilligan murder trial on Friday October 10 at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork the jury indicated that a photograph may have been taken of them by a person in the courtroom.

Ms Justice Lankford said this matter would be investigated but that it did not appear at first to be anything sinister.

Today the judge confirmed that no photograph was in fact taken. A young man presented in court and the judge asked the jury to confirm if this was the person with whom they had been concerned. They confirmed that he was the person.

Ms Justice Lankford then told them that he was part of a group of students from a language school, brought to court by their lecturer on Friday.

“This young man is from Brazil. He had his phone in court on the last occasion. I spoke to him after you (the jury) left on Friday and explained to him that he was not supposed to have his phone in court.” 

The judge told the student he could leave. Before he did, he said, “I am sorry for everything.” 

The judge further clarified for the ten men and two women of the jury, “Gardaí checked his phone. There was in fact no photograph taken – he was playing with the phone. 

This is a case which is heard in public so members of the public can attend.” 27-year-old Luke Taylor, formerly of Cherry Lawn, Blackrock, Cork, and 33-year-old Niall Long, formerly of St. Michael’s Close, Mahon, Cork, are on trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork facing the same charge of murder. The murder count which each man denies, states that on a date unknown between September 1 2023 and January 29 2024 at an unknown location within the state in the District Court area of Cork city he did murder Kieran Quilligan, 47, contrary to Common Law.

Throughout today CCTV footage from various locations in Cork city and East Cork, including Little Island, was shown to the judge and jury. Prosecution senior counsel Donal O’Sullivan described each clip briefly before they were played by Sergeant Pat Russell who is managing the CCTV aspect of the investigation.

After viewing 111 clips on Friday, they viewed clips numbered 112 to 353 today. Some of the clips showed parties including Kieran Quilligan, Niall Long, Luke Taylor and some other people and the movements of a white Toyota Rav car from 8.30 p.m. on September 1 to the early hours of September 2 2023.

Ms Justice Lankford told the jury before they went home this afternoon, “You have seen a lot of CCTV today. There is more to be seen but you are nearly at the end of it. And you will have witnesses again after that.” The trial continues.