Trial date set for man accused of killing Aidan (28)

Trial date set for man accused of killing Aidan (28)

21 September 2022

THE trial date has been set for the man accused of being responsible for the death of Aidan Mann in Downpatrick in January this year.

Mr Mann (28),  a tattoo artist known as Zen Black, sustained fatal knife wounds after he was attacked in the Church Street area of the town, 

Barry Donnelly, 37, was due to appeared at Belfast Crown Court last Friday to be arraigned for both the murder of Mr Mann on January 3 and for possessing two large kitchen knives in Church Street on the same date.

Defence barrister Gavan Duffy KC revealed Donnelly was due to appear for his arraignment via a videolink and enter “not guilty” pleas to both charges – but as a result of technical difficulties with the link this was not possible.

Mr Duffy told Mr Justice O’Hara that Donnelly had made “very detailed admissions” and as a result there was “no issue” he caused the 28-year-old’s death.

The issue, the barrister said, was Donnelly’s mental state at the time and now and to determine whether or not the accused was “suffering from some form of insanity or some other issue which may diminish his responsibility”.

Mr Duffy said the defence were seeking Donnelly’s medical notes and records and will also be obtaining a further psychiatric assessment.

Mr Justice O’Hara said he would review the case in six weeks and expressed the hope all medical reports would be available by then.

The senior judge then set a date for the trial as January 9, 2023, and added: “If there is a resolution before that date, the case can be brought forward and dealt with before the end of the year.”