Acquitted man burglared four pubs
A ROSCREA man previously acquitted of the killing of Offaly publican Matt Farrell has pleaded guilty to the burglary of four pubs in the midlands including one in Laois as well as a house in Cullenagh.
Last March a jury found Eddie Wing (31), with a previous address at Roscrea, Co Tipperary not guilty of the manslaughter of Mr Farrell during a burglary of his pub in April 2009.
Las Monday, June 27, Wing pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the burglary of a home at Cullenagh, Portlaoise, on January 29, 2009.
He pleaded guilty to burglary of Dan and Mollly’s Bar at Kilcormac, Co Offaly on Febuary 15, 2009 and burglary of Shorthall’s Pub, The Square, Castlecomer, Co Offaly on Febuary 18, 2009.
Wing also entered pleas of guilty to charges of burglary of The Elbow, Moate, Co Westmeath on February 19, 2009 and burglary of The Hawthorns, Ballacolla, Co Laois, on February 26, 2009.
Judge Martin Nolan remanded Wing in custody for sentencing on July 30, 2012.
During Wing’s last trial the court heard Mr Farrell (64) suffered heart failure after he was beaten, bound with a dog lead and left to die.
A witness in the trial, a convicted burglar and former heroin addict described as a “jailhouse informant”, gave evidence that Mr Wing confessed to the killing while the pair shared a cell in the Midlands Prison in late 2009.
There was no physical evidence connecting Mr Wing to the crime and under oath Mr Wing told the court that the prison informant was lying, adding that he didn’t know why.
The jury were warned a number of times of the dangers associated with the evidence from so called jailhouse informants.
They were told that two commissions of inquiry set up in Canada described jailhouse informants as the “most dangerous type of witness” and recommended against their use in trials.
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Tuesday 18 June 2013
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