A 23-year-old man in Sligo pleaded guilty last year to murdering two people and intentionally causing harm to others, reports RTE.
Yussef Palani, with an address in Markievicz Heights, Sligo, pleaded guilty to the Central Criminal Court for the murder of Aidan Moffitt in Cartron Heights, Sligo on 10 April last year.
Confessed two days later, on 12 April, to the murder of Michael Snee in Connaught Road, City View, Sligo.
Palani was due to appear in court on November 13, but will now be sentenced on October 23, when the victim’s testimony is also heard, reports RTE.
Justice Mary Ellen Ring expressed her condolences to the families of the victims and ordered victims’ impact statements to be prepared, saying it was important that they be heard.
The case has been heard by the Central Criminal Court several times, including earlier this month when Judge Paul McDermott was told that Palani had changed his senior lawyer before the trial.
During the brief hearing, defence attorney Brendan Grehan SC told Judge McDermott that Palani “a preference for a different senior counsel” and that under the circumstances he had requested permission for Michael Bowman SC to represent the defendant, reports RTE.
The law firm representing Palani will remain in place.
Mr Grehan also told the judge that various files relating to the escape from Castlerea Central Psychiatric Hospital and Prison in Roscommon had been sought, but the defence team were still waiting for them.
Judge McDermott asked Mr. Grehan whether expert opinions had been sought. The attorney said that on April 26, he informed the court that the defence had collected their own psychiatric assessment and it was not their intention to share it with the prosecution, reports RTE.
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