Dublin Bookmaker Stabbing Led to Miscarriage of Justice

A man from Dublin, Ireland who was found guilty in 2017 for involvement in a stabbing at a betting shop in Tallaght is said to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, according to The Sunday World.

In April 2018, Declan Tynan (pictured above) 33, was declared innocent of a vicious attack outside a Ladbrokes outlet from years before. He had initially been sentenced to four years imprisonment for the crime, despite maintaining his innocence since the start. After 11 months in prison, a real perpetrator of the attack admitted his role and Tynan’s conviction was quashed as unsafe. On Friday, the Court of Appeal granted Tynan a certificate of miscarriage of justice, officially declaring his innocence and giving him the opportunity to seek damages from the Irish state.

Vicious Attack

At the initial court case, the prosecutor alleged that Tynan was a part of the three people who invaded a betting premises on December 13th, 2012. The trio had a longstanding quarrel with a patron, one of whom was carrying a knife and allegedly started to stab him. When the victim’s brother tried to help, the men confronted him, too. The pair of victims did not cooperate with the police and no medical evidence was provided. The authorities could name one of the assailants, Sean Kenny, with help from surveillance footage, and Kenny and another person pled guilty. Nevertheless, Tynan had been inaccurately identified and this was the key evidence which connected him to the crime. Throughout the trial Tynan’s council, Eoghan Cole BL, slammed the current situation as being a “one-witness case,” as the innocent man remained untouched.

Innocent Man

At the first trial, the Appeals Court pointed out that the defense had been deprived of material that could have proven useful in assessing the accuracy of the identification. The judges also noted that the UK Metropolitan Police sent an expert to compare photos of Tynan, the supposed perpetrator, to the images of Ladbrokes, all of which established Tynan’s innocence. Judge Justice McCarthy asserted that there was no fault in the police’s investigation, though he believed a certificate should be issued due to Tynan’s innocence. He further stated that the policeman who made the mistaking identification held his opinion honestly and in good faith. In conclusion, there was no disputing the miscarriage of justice.