TV3 will not broadcast any more episodes of its Cocaine Wars series pending the disposal of drugs charges against a prisoner who claims the programme breaches his right to a fair trial, the High Court was told yesterday.
Brian Rattigan (29), Cooley Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, is facing trial next October on charges involving the supply of €1 million worth of heroin and with having two mobile phones in his prison cell.
Earlier this week, he got permission to notify the station of his application to prevent the broadcasting of last Tuesday's episode.
When the case came before the High Court President, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, on Tuesday, TV3 said it had agreed not to broadcast the Tuesday programme pending the hearing of the injunction application and the matter was adjourned to today for hearing.
Following talks today, Brendan Grehan SC, for Mr Rattigan, said the case could be struck out on the basis of a number of undertakings from TV3.
The station has undertaken not to broadcast the two remaining programmes in the series, not to re-broadcast the previous two programmes and not to put up any material about the programmes on its website until the charges against Mr Rattigan are disposed of.
Mr Rattigan's solicitors have also agreed to return copies of the two remaining episodes to TV3 which will, in turn, return the book of evidence in the Rattigan case provided as part of the injunction application and on the basis of confidentiality.
Two programmes in the Cocaine Wars series have already been broadcast, the first of which dealt with the murder of Declan Gavin, of which Rattigan was convicted. He is appealing that conviction. The second programme dealt with a number of other murders. TV3 had denied any contempt of court in the programmes.