A Cavan man who was jailed for eight months by a judge in the District Court for alleged drug offences has been freed from Loughan House Prison after winning a judicial review in the High Court against his conviction and sentence.
Kevin Murphy, a former member of the Defence Forces, of Lisasarn, Cootehill, was convicted at Cavan District Court on April 12th by Judge Seán MacBride for having cannabis for sale or supply at Dromore, Cootehill, Co Cavan, contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act, on November 3rd last year.
Mr Murphy had sought the judicial review in the High Court, on the grounds of controversial comments made by the judge when he was being sentenced at the District Court. According to the submissions presented to the president of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, counsel for Mr Murphy, Ronan Munro, claimed that Judge MacBride had declared in court that he had “intelligence” about the accused, and had also made other comments in the court.
According to counsel for Mr Murphy, Judge MacBride also said he would “run” Mr Murphy out of town.
It emerged yesterday that Mr Murphy was released from Loughan House in compliance with the quashing of the eight-month jail sentence and High Court order made for the removal of all records, relative to the District Court conviction.