A 24-year-old man who refused to give evidence at the murder trial of barrister Diarmuid Phelan has been handed a four-month prison sentence at a Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.

The court heard Kallum Coleman from Drimagh in Dublin had initially agreed to return to Ireland from Spain with detectives before running away on the journey to the airport.

Detective Sergeant Michael McGrath said Gardaí travelled to Marbella to encourage him to return to Ireland with them.

Det Sgt McGrath said Coleman told them he would not give evidence to the trial under any circumstances before later getting out of the car and running away.

Garda Jeff Dolan said he arrested Coleman on January 2nd last on the old Naas Rd in Dublin and brought him to Tallaght Garda Station.

Coleman ran out of the Garda station and was pursued by Gardaí before escaping and eventually handing himself in five days later.

Defence Counsel Tim O’Leary read out a hand written letter from Coleman where he said he had not wanted to relive the events of February 2022, when Keith Conlon was fatally shot.

The letter said he had run away because he was afraid and has suffered with panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) since the incident.

Barrister Diarmuid Phelan pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Keith Conlon and was acquitted of the charge.

Pictured the Central Criminal Court of Dublin. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie