Bray Boxing Club murder accused may be granted bail

A man accused of murder and attempted murder at Bray Boxing Club in Co Wicklow has been informed by the Court of Appeal that he may be granted bail subject to stringent conditions. The accused is charged with the murder of Bobby Messett and the attempted murder of Pete Taylor and Ian Britton following a shooting at the club on 5 June 2018. His first trial at the Central Criminal Court collapsed in September 2021 after ten weeks when a juror fell ill, reducing the panel below the required number. The Court of Appeal found that the accused has spent an unusually prolonged period in custody, now exceeding four years, without a confirmed date for his second trial. The State had opposed bail, citing concerns that the accused is a flight risk following his departure to Spain after the shooting. However, the three-judge court determined that the combination of extended custody and trial uncertainty warranted reconsideration.