Trial of airport hijack accused continues

The trial of a man who has been accused of hijacking a Garda jeep and an airport jeep continued at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday. Thirty-eight year old Edmund Stapleton, of no fixed abode but originally from Blackpool, is in court on 12 charges that occurred on the afternoon of Sunday 22 May 2011. As well as hijacking two cars, the accused was armed with a knife which he held to the neck of Garda Michael Bohane who, at the time, was parked in a stationary Garda vehicle on Patrick Street.

Yesterday was the second day of the trial and the court heard the evidence of the first witness of the defence, Dr Paul O'Connell, a consultant forensic psychologist, who examined Mr Stapleton after the events.

The accused denies the assault on Garda Bohane, threatening to kill Garda Bohane, two counts of unlawfully taking Garda and airport police vehicles, five counts of criminal damage and three counts of dangerous driving in Cork city centre. 

Mr Stapleton drove in the Garda jeep, after hijacking it when Garda Bohane had gotten out, down Winthrop Street before travelling with some speed towards Oliver Plunkett Street. He later drove to Cork Airport, where it is alleged he rammed through a perimeter fence, hijacked an airport police vehicle at knifepoint and stripped down to his underwear before driving around the airport ramp. Dr Paul O'Connell will be cross examined when the case resumes in Cork Circuit Criminal Court next Wednesday.