Convicted murderer Dessie Dundon challenges court over denial of parole – The Irish Times

Dessie Dundon, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of a Limerick gang rival, has been allowed to challenge a refusal to release him on parole based on an alleged “secret dossier” prepared by An Garda Síochána.

Limerick crime boss Dundon, who is serving time in Mountjoy Prison, claims the parole board failed to take all reasonable steps to inform him of all the information that led to the denial earlier this year .

At an ex parte hearing at the High Court, where only one party is represented, Mark Lynam SC of Dundon was granted permission by Madam Judge Mary Rose Gearty on Monday to have his client’s case assessed.

Mr Lynam said his client had been in contact with the parole board and had received generally good reports from Mountjoy prison.

Dundon claims the Parole Board received “significant” material from An Garda Síochána during the parole application, which he only became aware of following the board’s decision to refuse parole in March this year.

Dundon claims the Parole Board acted in a manner that violated his constitutional right to due process.

His petition alleges that the Parole Board acted “illegally, irrationally and procedurally improper.”

Dundon’s application for a review of the decision claims that the board “found that exceptional circumstances existed which justified the material (the An Garda Síochána report) being kept secret and not disclosed to the applicant (Dundon) or his legal representatives ”.

Dundon says his lawyer wrote to the board claiming the finding of “exceptional circumstances and the consequence that he would be deprived of the material deprived him of natural justice”.

Dundon claims his legal teams asked for the “secret information” to be provided in a summary or redacted version, but no indication was given that these alternatives had been considered by the board.

Dundon, 41, has so far served 21 years in prison for the murder of crime boss Kieran Keane and the attempted murder of Keane’s cousin, Owen Treacy, in Limerick in January 2003.

Dundon, who has been in prison since March 2003, was convicted of attempted murder and twice of false imprisonment in December that year.

Since his prison sentence, Dundon, who at the time of his conviction had further convictions for assault causing damage and theft, has had two further convictions for possessing a mobile phone in prison and deliberately obstructing a prison officer.

Today Mr Lynam, who has been instructed by Madden & Finucane Solicitors, said An Garda Síochána was listed as a notice party in the case due to their involvement in the parole case.

Mrs Justice Gearty adjourned the case for mention until November 5.