NI man refused bail ahead of retrial on Lordship-related robbery charges

A man accused of conspiring to steal vehicles with garda killer Aaron Brady has been refused bail ahead of his retrial at the Special Criminal Court. James Flynn, aged 43, with an address in Newry, County Down, faced objections from gardaí who contended he poses a flight risk. Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, presiding over the three-judge, non-jury court, noted that Mr Flynn holds citizenship of the United Kingdom and the United States and has established businesses in both jurisdictions. The judge cited evidence of his financial capacity to evade justice and rejected submissions that his ties to the Republic of Ireland are sufficiently substantial. Proposed bail conditions, including residence with his mother-in-law in Monaghan, did not allay the court's concerns regarding the seriousness of the charges and the probable sentence upon conviction. The Court of Appeal previously quashed Mr Flynn's conviction on the conspiracy charge and ordered a retrial, finding the Special Criminal Court had breached his constitutional right to natural justice by amending the indictment without consulting legal representatives.