Declan Duffy to seek bail in NI extradition proceedings

A man whose surrender is being sought by Northern Irish authorities following his arrest in the Republic is to seek bail next month in the High Court.

Declan Duffy (43), of Hannover Street West in Dublin is due to stand trial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court charged with three counts of false imprisonment at The Towers, Garters Lane in Saggart on June 9th, 2015. He is also charged with violent disorder on the same occasion. His trial at the three-judge court is due to take place in October.

The High Court has heard Mr Duffy had been serving a term of life imprisonment for the murder of British army sergeant Michael Newman in Derby City in 1992 when he was released on license by a Northern Irish parole board in March 2013.

Mr Duffy was arrested by gardaí on December 5th, 2015 on suspicion of committing the offences and subsequently charged in the Special Criminal Court.

On June 6th, 2016, the Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland revoked Mr Duffy's license and recalled him to prison.

A European Arrest Warrant (EAW), issued by the Northern Irish authorities in respect of Mr Duffy, was endorsed by the High Court in the Republic last year.

‘Request for extradition’

Representing Mr Duffy in January, Seamus Clarke BL, told the High Court on that occasion the exact same subject matter, as alleged, grounded both proceedings. The allegations here triggered the request for extradition, the court heard.

Mr Clarke, who had brought a motion to postpone the extradition proceedings until his trial in the Special Criminal Court had concluded, said the EAW was “highly premature” and had been issued “erroneously”.

Requiring Mr Duffy to respond to the extradition proceedings totally undermined Mr Duffy’s presumption of innocence in the criminal proceedings and affected his right to a fair trial, counsel submitted.

He said Mr Duffy denied “outright” the charges.

Representing Mr Duffy on Monday, barrister Dean Kelly BL, told Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly his client would be seeking bail. Papers were being sworn to be filed with the court in due course, Mr Kelly said.

Ms Justice Donnelly put the matter back to June 19th for a bail application.

Mr Duffy was remanded in custody to appear before the court on that date.