Dublin Knife Attack on a Bookmaker Caused a Miscarriage of Justice
An Irish man, Declan Tynan from Dublin, spent four years behind bars for a stabbing incident that took place in Tallaght's betting shop, as reported by The Sunday World. The verdict came in 2017, with security video footage identifying him as the perpetrator. Although Tynan professed his innocence throughout this time, he was able to exonerate himself in 2018, when the court declared the conviction unsafe.
In the original incident, prosecutors alleged that Tynan was one of a group of three who committed a vicious attack on a client with whom he had a long-standing feud. One of this gang member was armed, and stabbed the man repeatedly, while the other two targeted the victim's brother when he interfered. However, both victims refused to cooperate with the police, and no medical records were obtained for the course of the investigation.
The police correctly identified Sean Kenny as one of the perpetrators from the video footage. Kenny and an accomplice pleaded guilty. However, without any other evidence linking Tynan to the crime, his conviction relied solely on his incorrect identification from the video.
At his trial, Tynan's lawyer, Eoghan Cole BL, dismissed the case as a "one-witness matter."
In a recent development, though, the Court of Appeal granted Tynan a certificate of miscarriage of justice. This decree declares him to be innocent and allows him to potentially pursue damages against the Irish state. Expert analysis from the UK's Met Police, which compared images of Tynan, the alleged culprit, and the Ladbrokes video, confirmed his innocence.
While there was no criticism of the police handling of the case, Justice McCarthy expressed his belief that the certificate should be granted. According to him, "The proof is that he [Mr Tynan] was actually innocent." He also added that the police officer's identification was honestly held but led to a miscarriage of justice.
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Source: www.casino.org
