Bail refused to woman who allegedly helped fugitive murderer hide after he shot young father dead

Victim (22) was gunned down in Dublin as he pushed his infant son in a pram

Wayne Cooney was last month found guilty of the murder

August 31 2022 02:30 AM

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A woman helped a young father’s murderer to evade justice by booking him into a hotel after the killing and fleeing the country with him, it has been alleged.

Rachel Redmond (32) appeared in court yesterday accused of assisting Wayne Cooney after he gunned down Jordan Davis (22) while the victim was pushing his infant son in a pram on a Dublin street.

Judge John O’Leary refused to grant Ms Redmond bail following garda objections and remanded her in custody at Dublin District Court.

Ms Redmond, from north Dublin but with an address at Clifdenville Road, Cliftonville Avenue, north Belfast, is charged with acting to impede the apprehension or prosecution of an offender.

The charge, under Section 7 of the Criminal Law Act, alleges that she committed the offence at locations in Dublin between May 22 and 25, 2019, knowing or believing that Wayne Cooney had murdered Mr Davis at the laneway beside Our Lady of Immaculate Church in Darndale, north Dublin.

Evidence of Ms Redmond’s arrest, charge and caution was heard before gardaí made their bail objections.

The accused had made no attempt to distance herself from the gardaí and was willing to reside at a Dublin address, her solicitor Claire Finnegan said, as a bail application was lodged.

Ms Redmond was supported by family members in court.

Judge O’Leary said the charge against the accused was in relation to an underlying charge against someone else.

He said he had considered the garda objection and Ms Finnegan’s submissions.

The accused was presumed innocent and had a constitutional right to bail but this right was not absolute and had to be balanced against the rights of the public to see that justice is done, the judge said.

The fact that she resided outside the jurisdiction was not a barrier to bail.

The judge said it was alleged Ms Redmond assisted a person accused of murder in evading the gardaí by booking him into a hotel in her name and fleeing out of the jurisdiction with him to another jurisdiction in the aftermath of the offence of which he was accused.

Judge O’Leary said he was refusing bail and remanded Ms Redmond in custody to a date in September.

He granted free legal aid after Ms Finnegan submitted a statement of the accused’s financial means and said Ms Redmond was in receipt of social welfare.

Mr Davis was shot dead as he walked with his child in a pram at a laneway in Darndale on May 22, 2019.

The victim suffered three gunshot wounds including one to the head that killed him instantly.

Cooney, of Glenshane Drive, Tallaght, was jailed for life last month after he was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of murdering Mr Davis.

Judge Tony Hunt gave Cooney – who had denied the charges – concurrent 13-year sentences for possession of the firearm and ammunition he used to murder Mr Davis.

The trial heard that before the murder, a local drug dealer threatened to kill Mr Davis because of a drug debt.