Eoin Reynolds
The trial of businessman Jim Mansfield Jnr will resume in two weeks to allow witnesses in the Witness Protection Programme to give evidence.
Mr Justice Alex Owens at the Special Criminal Court said he wanted to give those witnesses priority when the trial resumes on Monday July 26th, but he doesn't expect the trial to finish before the court breaks at the end of this month.
Whatever evidence remains to be heard, he said, will be adjourned to when the court returns following the summer break.
Mr Mansfield Jnr (53), of Tasaggart House, Garters Lane, Saggart, Co Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring with one or more persons to falsely imprison Martin Byrne on a date unknown between January 1st, 2015 and June 30th, 2015, both dates inclusive.
He also denies attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing Patrick Byrne to destroy recorded CCTV footage, with the alleged intention of perverting the course of public justice in relation to the false imprisonment of Martin Byrne at Finnstown House Hotel, Newcastle Road, Lucan, Co Dublin between June 9th, 2015 and June 12th, 2015.
His trial was adjourned for six months in December to allow his lawyers view CCTV footage that had not previously been disclosed.
