Judge rejects Robbie Lawlor murder accused's objections to extradition
Eoin Reynolds
The High Court has rejected arguments against the extradition of Jonathan Gill to Northern Ireland to face a charge that he murdered Robbie Lawlor as part of a feud involving gangs in Dublin, Drogheda and Sligo.
Judge Patrick McGrath did not make an order for Gill's extradition but remanded him in custody to July 29th after hearing that his lawyers want time to consider the judgment.
A warrant issued by the Northern Irish authorities alleges that Gill (44), of Malahide Road, Clontarf, Dublin, was part of a joint enterprise to murder Robert Lawlor on April 4th, 2020. At a previous hearing, Detective Garda Robert Cumerford told the court that Lawlor's shooting arose out of an ongoing feud involving criminal gangs from Dublin, Drogheda and Sligo in which a number of key personalities have been killed.
Gardaí believe Lawlor murdered teenager Keane Mulready Woods, whose remains were dismembered before being discovered in various locations in Drogheda and Dublin.
Gill faces a further charge that between April 2nd and 5th, 2020 he possessed a 9mm self-loading pistol with intent to endanger life or cause serious damage to property or to allow another person to do so.
Gill's lawyers had argued that he should not be extradited because the UK courts would not provide him with the same protections that he would receive from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) if he were tried in Ireland.
In particular, they argued that the courts in the UK and the CJEU had taken different views on the admissibility of messages discovered on the encrypted 'encrochat system'. Messages recovered from that system are expected to be used in Gill's trial.
However, the judge said he must act on the presumption that the Northern Irish authorities would act in good faith and vindicate Gill's right to a fair trial. The fact that the view taken by the CJEU may be more favourable to Gill does not mean he is at risk of an unfair trial in the UK, he said.
There is, he said, a robust legal system in the UK which governs the admissibility of evidence and the use of Encrochat messages is the subject of ongoing litigation and consideration. He said Gill had "wholly failed" to establish any grounds for refusal of the extradition warrant.
Gemma McLoughlin-Burke, for Gill, asked for time to consider the judgment before the court moves to impose the extradition order.
Gill remains in custody, having previously been refused bail due to the risk that he would not attend future court dates.
