Brutal gang racked up huge bills seeking bail
The €90k cost as thugs used the State’s free legal aid system
THE violent gang that terrorised a the Corcoran family racked up legal costs of tens of thousands of euro in their pursuit of bail – the bill for which will be footed by taxpayers.
The total sum the Irish public will have to fork out for free legal aid for the seven men, who were sentenced on Thursday, has been estimated at almost €90,000.
The gang members were jailed for between five and 16 years for terrorising Mark and Emma Corcoran and their three young children at their home in November 2013.
During the horrific raid they threatened to cut off Mr Corcoran’s feet and kill the couple’s children. Pursuing bail and succeeding in doing so at the expense of the taxpayer allowed one of the men, Thomas Flynn, to be
‘The men appeared in court around 15 times’
free on bail at the time of the horrific attack on the Tipperary family. Flynn, 21, of Moatview Avenue, Coolock, Dublin, had been granted bail in relation to a firearms charge.
Now, the Mail can reveal the extensive lengths six of the men went to in order to be granted bail in their burglary case despite them having 315 previous convictions between them. One of the men had no previous convictions so was granted bail early.
The remaining six each brought repeat bail applications to the District Court and appealed them a number of times to the High Court after being refused.
A senior legal source told the Mail: ‘The men appeared in court around 15 times from the time of their arrest to sentencing this week. As you can imagine, the legal bill is going to be very high.’ The gang were each represented by a senior counsel, a junior counsel and a solicitor – all paid for by the taxpayer through the free legal aid system.
It is estimated that pre-trial fees i ncluding consultations, prison visits by solicitors, senior and junior counsel and pre-trial applications would cost approximately €24,000.
Briefing rates and daily rates for legal aid published in March by the Department of Justice reveal the costs the taxpayer now must pay.
According to the rates, for an appearance in the Circuit Court, senior counsel receives a briefing fee of €1,716 which includes their first day in court. A junior counsel will receive €1,144 and a solicitor will also be paid €1,144. For High Court bail hearings, the fee is a further €332 for solicitor and €332 for counsel.
When the gang appeared in court for sentencing this week, the sentence fee for senior counsel was €370. The cost for a junior counsel was €247 and a solicitor’s rate was €180.
The criminals showed no remorse when convicted on Thursday and no regard for the tens of thousands of euro racked up on their case. Fianna Fáil’s justice spokesman Niall Collins told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘The State should take every step and measure available to recover the cover the cost of free legal aid pro- vided to these seven men. ‘ The public are very concerned that free legal aid can be afforded to serial offenders with multiple convictions, and a mechanism needs to be established whereby the cost of this is recovered from criminals.’
Other costs accumulated by the criminals over the course of their incarceration while awaiting trial included prison visits from their legal counsel. A prison visit, essential to preparation and conduct of defence, each time costs €97.22.
The seven men – all aged in their 20s – received a total of 72 years at Clonmel Circuit Court for their part in the vicious burglary.
The gang were armed with a sawnoff shotgun, a handgun and a machete. The court heard that Mr Corcoran suffered a fractured eye socket when struck with a gun, his wife Emma was forcibly removed from the couple’s bedroom, and their three daughters were left traumatised by the attack.