In March 2022, the High Court was told that law professor Diarmuid Rossa Phelan was a "law abiding citizen" who had "never put a foot wrong" and did not have so much as a parking ticket to his name. He had also been charged with murdering a trespasser on his farm by shooting him in the back of the head.
This was the only time a court heard first hand from Mr Phelan, who did not opt to take the stand during his nine-week trial to give evidence in his defence, as is his legal right.
The court heard details of his professional and private life that painted a broader picture of the father of four - as a barrister, an academic and landowner - than that presented at his murder trial.
The State had objected to bail on account that the barrister was a likely flight risk but over those two days at his bail hearing, Mr Phelan - referred to by his solicitor as "a very honourable man" - insisted there was no possibility of him trying to evade justice by leaving the country.
Via video-link from Cloverhill Prison, Mr Phelan told a High Court judge that he had to clear his name because his reputation and career were dependent on it.
On the day he shot Keith Conlon, Diarmuid Phelan was due to teach at Trinity College Dublin, where he was an Associate Professor of Law.
Having grown up on the south side of Dublin, Mr Phelan had been teaching on College Green since 1994, with disciplines in European Union and Competition Law. He was working three days a week lecturing undergraduate and postgraduate students, with meetings on the other days.
Mr Phelan's career also saw him lecture in the United States and visit law schools across the world. He has been a member of the Bar since 1994 and was called to the inner bar in 2008. As a professor, he is affiliated with the bar jurisdictions in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales and New York.
The High Court heard that Mr Phelan and his children are also United States citizens and that he owns a studio in Colorado.
Considerable assets
The High Court was also told of Mr Phelan's financial position and heard he has "considerable assets" with links to Northern Ireland, mainland Europe and the US.
He began buying large tracts of land in 2000, starting with a 54-acre farm in Wexford followed 15 years later with the purchase of Hazelgrove Farm, which was approximately 180 acres. The High Court heard that the lands in Tallaght were held in a complex arrangement and had different legal and beneficial owners.
In 2023, there were 66 cattle and around 140 sheep on Hazelgrove Farm, which was accepted into an organic scheme that same year - a move that was part of the long term plan for the lands. The court heard that Mr Phelan being "very much hands on" in the maintenance of the farm and someone who enjoyed "getting his hands dirty", with "massive progress" made on the lands since he acquired them. His lawyers said that Mr Phelan took it upon himself to up-skill and farm at a commercial level and sought to "make good the lands".
When questioned at length by Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy at his bail hearing, Mr Phelan told her that his Tallaght farm was held in Northern Ireland with a company called Sagacious Investment Ltd, while the farm in Wexford was held through EUSA Ltd.
He said the farms are held in trust for the benefit of his four children.
"The land in Tallaght is in various arrangements," Mr Phelan said, adding that the company is the legal owner but not the beneficial owner of the lands.
When pressed more by the judge about the value of the farm in Tallaght, Mr Phelan said it was "very unclear" as it was mixed land and therefore hard to value. He said it was bought in a series of transactions.
Asked about its developmental value, the defendant said it would be worth €1.8 million at least. He said the average market value per acre on the Wexford farm was between €10,000 and €12,000 and the bulk of the Wexford farm was sold for €540,000 in July of that year.
The court was told the father-of-four's primary residence is in Dublin, with his home having an approximate value of between €900,000 and €1 million.
Mr Phelan told the High Court that the entirety of his Trinity salary went towards independent home-care for his mother, costing over €100,000 per annum, which the court heard was in accordance with his late father's wishes.
Along with a seven-figure mortgage commitment, Mr Phelan said it was "hard to make ends meet at the moment". It was submitted by his lawyer to the court that if Mr Phelan couldn't generate money, he would have difficulty making his mortgage repayments.
With assets valued in the millions however, Mr Phelan didn't qualify for legal aid. He was on trial for murder at his own expense and had a team of four lawyers acting for him; consisting of two senior counsels, a junior counsel and a documentary junior.
His defence team was headed up by senior counsel Michael Bowman, who prosecuted the 'Mr Moonlight' murder case, and Sean Guerin, the chair of the Council of the Bar of Ireland.
When four agricultural workers from France and Germany gave evidence about having witnessed the fatal shooting, Mr Phelan also arranged for his own stenographer and a professional interpreter - who had previously worked for the Canadian Parliamentary System - to take notes of the proceedings and provide his team with their own translation of the evidence given.
Two of Mr Phelan's four defence witnesses had also flown in from the US to testify on his behalf, including a former special agent with the US Department of Justice who acted as a firearms expert and a behavioural psychologist.
Guns
It was said at the bail hearing that Mr Phelan was a member of gun clubs and the licensed owner of ten firearms which he had extensive experience in using and had been seized since his arrest.
It became part of the prosecution case at Mr Phelan's murder trial to suggest he was a skilled and experienced shooter and was therefore more likely to shoot accurately.
However, Mr Phelan said at his bail hearing that he hadn't been a member of a gun club in Wicklow for many years but was a member of a target club. He told gardai in his interviews that he preferred archery as a discipline and was teaching it to his children.
Totally in the dark
In seeking bail, Mr Phelan's counsel submitted that he "stands for something, he has achieved something over the decades and that must count for something".
But that was not enough to convince the High Court judge to grant bail, after she found Mr Phelan had a "powerful incentive to evade justice" and was a serious flight risk.
Ms Justice Murphy found Mr Phelan was a man of "extensive assets" but that the full extent of these were not known as a statement was not filed under the Bail Act, which provides for the disclosure of income.
She noted that the full extent of Mr Phelan's assets was not known and that three different addresses in south Dublin had been submitted by him.
Within days, Mr Phelan brought his case to the Court of Appeal over the decision not to grant him bail pending his trial.
The then President of the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice George Birmingham, told Mr Phelan he had left the High Court judge "totally in the dark" with regards to his financial affairs when applying for bail.
He asked that the defendant provide a comprehensive financial statement to the court setting out his assets, liabilities, all sources of income in recent years and details of any property in and outside the jurisdiction.
In the end Mr Phelan was granted bail by the Court of Appeal on condition that he enter his own bond of €50,000, while an independent surety of €50,000 was also required. The largest amount of bail fixed in the State at that time was €100,000.
Murder trial
When his trial finally opened before Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford on October 16 last, the defendant had many close friends and family in court to support him, including his sister Emer and an elderly priest, who would often be seen comforting Mr Phelan by placing his arm around him.
Mr Phelan would cycle to court each day and continued to use the side entrance used by professionals to gain access to the Criminal Courts of Justice Building, moving freely around the law library amongst his fellow practitioners.
Inside the courtroom, the defendant would frequently pass notes to his two lawyers of Arthur McClean Solicitors, who in turn would hand them to counsel.
Outside court 17 in the mornings and evenings, Mr Phelan and his six advisers would form huddles to discuss either what was on the day's agenda or to reflect on the day's developments.
