The jury in the trial of a lawyer accused of murdering a man on his farm has heard from a witness who said she thinks she saw the man “turning back” at the same time she heard a gunshot.

Diarmuid Phelan, who is also a Professor of Law at Trinity College Dublin, claims Keith Conlon was accidentally shot when he fired his gun in self-defence.

On February 22nd, 2022, Alexandra Fernandes was working on Mr Phelan’s farm in Tallaght.

That afternoon, she said she remembered two men coming out of some bushes shortly after Diarmuid Phelan and another farm worker.

She said they were “angry” with Mr Phelan and she thought one of them was crying.

She said she was concerned they were going to do something to Mr. Phelan’s dog because she knew he had killed their dog.

As they walked towards Mr Phelan, she said she heard a loud bang and turned her head to see Mr Phelan holding a gun in the air.

She said she heard a second shot before telling the jury she thought she saw the two men “turning back” at the same time she heard the third shot.

It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Phelan intended to kill or cause serious harm to Keith Conroy, while he claims he was shot by accident after he fired in self-defence.

Main image: The Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin. Picture by: Alamy.com