Man charged with Mike Gaine murder wants new barristers
Michael Kelley, a US man charged with the murder of a sheep farmer in Ireland, has requested new legal representation ahead of his 2027 trial. The court granted the application for his current barristers to withdraw, while his solicitor remains on the case.
Why it matters
This highlights procedural developments in a high-profile criminal case involving international defendants within the Irish judicial system.
A former US soldier charged with murdering Co Kerry sheep farmer Mike Gaine wants new barristers ahead of his nine-week trial next January, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Michael Kelley, a native of Maine in the US but of no fixed abode in Tralee, Co Kerry, was sent forward for trial in Dublin last May after being served with the book of evidence.
Mr Kelley, 54, is charged with a single count of murdering Mr Gaine, 56, at Carrig, Kenmare, Co Kerry, on a date unknown between 20 and 21 March 2025.
Mr Kelley is expected to go on trial at the Central Criminal Court on 11 January 2027.
The court was previously told by counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions that there are 191 witnesses in the book of evidence and it is estimated the case will last up to nine weeks.
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