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Central Criminal Court Alamy

HSE employee to go on trial today accused of impeding probe into murder of Lisa Thompson

The trial is expected to last up to eight days.

A 42-YEAR-old woman employed by the HSE will go on trial today accused of impeding the investigation into the murder of mother-of-two Lisa Thompson and perverting the course of justice.

Deirdre Arnold with an address at Briarfield Grove, Kilbarrack, Dublin 5 is charged that on a date between 9 and 10 May 2022, did without reasonable excuse an act with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution of Brian McHugh, a person who had committed an arrestable offence, namely murder, whilst knowing or believing Brian McHugh to be guilty of the offence of some other arrestable offence. 

Arnold is also charged that on a date between May 9 2022 and May 10 2022, both dates inclusive, at a location within the State, acted or embarked upon a course of conduct which had a tendency to and was intended to pervert the course of public justice.

Arnold pleaded not guilty to the two counts when she was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on Friday.

Addressing the jury panel, Justice Patrick McGrath said Arnold is employed by the HSE.

The judge also informed the potential jurors that they had heard reference in the charge to Brian McHugh and the offence of murder. He went on to explain that the person murdered was Lisa Thompson, who had an address at Sandyhill Gardens, Ballymun in Dublin 11.

A jury of eight men and four women was sworn in to hear Arnold’s trial, which is due to begin on today before Justice McGrath and is expected to last up to eight days.

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