Judge releases Mayo court recording for documentary despite objections
A judge has agreed to let a documentary maker listen to the court recording of a harassment case despite objections from a Swinford couple.
The applicant is seeking to make a documentary about the death of Joe Deacy from St Alban's, Hertfordshire, England, who was found unconscious outside the home of Peter and Anne Byrne at Gortnasillagh, Swinford at 6.45 a.m. on August 12, 2017.
The 21-year-old later died from his injuries at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and Gardaí are treating his death as murder.
Before a previous sitting of Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court, documentary maker Shane Caffrey applied for the transcript of the digital audio recording (DAR) from a sentencing hearing on July 24, 2025.
The hearing related to a friend of Mr. Deacy who pleaded guilty to harassing Peter and Anne Byrne.
Brendan Rowland, with an address in Shenley Road, Borehamwood, near London, received an 18-month suspended jail term.
Solicitor Matthew Kenny, acting for Mr. Caffrey, said his client wished to have the DAR, or a transcript of the DAR, so he could give an accurate account of the court proceedings.
Mr. Byrne objected to the release of the transcript.
“We were here on July 24, 2025, and made our victim impact statements and 17 days later, Shane Caffrey came to my house with a group of people who were uninvited and there was a march outside my house and trespassing on our driveway. He trespassed," said Mr Byrne.
“I have made a complaint to gardaí about what happened at those protests in 2024 and 2025 and I have a Pulse number and the documentary maker Shane Caffrey was mentioned as part of the protest."
Mr. Kenny said his client was at the protest outside the Byrne home in his capacity as a documentary maker.
Judge Eoin Garavan ruled on the matter last week, noting that he had examined case law and listened to the views of Mr. Byrne. He said there is clearly a public interest in this particular matter.
The judge said he believed Mr. Caffrey wants an accurate transcript of the court proceedings and he would allow him to attend the court office and have the DAR of the hearing played to him.
The judge said he was not particularly happy to have a written transcript supplied to the applicant.
Mr. Caffrey accepted the judge's ruling.
* Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.