JUSTICE BARRY WHITE has asked the DPP to explore whether he should recuse himself from the trial of four men who pleaded guilty to impeding the investigation into Rebecca French’s killing.
The body of French, a mother-of-two, was discovered in the boot of her burning car by emergency services in Wexford on 9 October last year.
RTÉ reports that the judge, who was due to sentence the four men today, has asked the DPP to consider a victim impact statement made by French’s sister yesterday.
White described that statement as being offensive, inappropriate and xenophobic. He said he had not seen a copy of the statement before it was presented to the court, and said that if he sentenced the men today, it could appear that he had been influenced.
Two of the men who pleaded guilty to impeding the investigation were on trial for French’s murder when they made their plea.
The murder charges against them were dropped last month and the jury in that trial dismissed after it emerged that the men were not lawfully detained when they gave certain statements to gardaí.
Gardaí said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with French’s death.
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