Architect in black remains silent during brief hearing

Graham Dwyer sat quietly at the side benches of the busy Dún Laoghaire District Courtroom for 15 minutes before his brief hearing began yesterday.

Just 2½ hours earlier the architect had been charged in Blackrock Garda station with the murder of Elaine O’Hara at an unknown place in the county of Dublin on August 22nd, 2012.

Many in the room full of journalists, members of the public, defendants for other cases and at least a dozen gardaí looked over at the 41-year-old with an address at Kerrymount Close in Foxrock as they waited for the 10.30am court session to begin.

The married father of two mainly stared ahead but at times looked around and spoke briefly to the plainclothes gardaí flanking him on both sides.

He had arrived to Dún Laoghaire in the rain shortly before 10am.

Photographers peered through a blue metal gate trying to snap Mr Dwyer being brought from the black Ford car at the back of the court to the side door.

Mr Dwyer was led in. He wore black boots, a black turtleneck and black trousers in court. He had short dark brown hair.

Hearing
Inside the building, gardaí led him up to the top of the courtroom as Judge Bridget Reilly arrived.

The accused man did not address the court during the hearing which lasted no more than five minutes.

However, the court was given an account of what he had said when charged by gardaí at Blackrock at 7.49am.

Det Sgt Peter Woods told the court that, asked if he had anything to say, Mr Dwyer had replied: "I do. Not guilty."

The judge deferred the legal aid request for the architect by his solicitor but Sgt Woods told the court he was “aware of his financial background” and the Garda had “no objections” to legal aid.

After he was remanded in custody for a week, Mr Dwyer was led by gardaí through the public area and out the main doors of the courtroom directly past reporters and the public gallery.

Several members of the public left the courtroom immediately after his hearing.

As he was driven away from the courthouse to Cloverhill Prison in west Dublin shortly before 11am, his departure was photographed both by the waiting media and by bystanders who were wielding camera-phones.