A 42-year-old woman employed by the Health Service Executive will go on trial on Monday 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, Kilbarrick, Dublin 5 is charged that on a date between May 9th, 2022, and May 10th 2022, both dates inclusive, at a location within the State, 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, while knowing or believing McHugh to be guilty of the offence or some other arrestable offence.
Ms Arnold is also charged that on a date between May 9th, 2022, and May 10th, 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.
Ms Arnold pleaded not guilty to the two counts when she was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on Friday.
Addressing the jury panel, Mr Justice Patrick McGrath said Ms Arnold is employed by the HSE. The judge also informed the potential jurors that they had heard reference in the charge to 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 Ms Arnold’s trial, which is due to begin on Monday before the judge and is expected to last up to eight days.
