Woman accused of giving false alibi in Odhran Kelly murder case being allowed to return to Galway

Crystal Redden allegedly gave a bogus statement after the 23-year-old victim’s “badly burnt body” was found beside a car on fire in Lurgan, Co Armagh in the early hours of December 3 last year.

Prosecutors also said a flat close to the scene in the Edward Street area of the town was covered in large amounts of blood.

Redden, 30, with a current address at Garland Avenue in the town, faces a charge of intending to pervert the course of justice.

It is claimed that on December 7 she provided a fake alibi for one of two men currently in custody charged with Mr Kelly’s murder. Redden was previously granted bail to live at a house in Lurgan.

But the court heard that property has since been attacked, with the homeowner believing it was targeted due to the defendant’s presence.

Redden sought permission to vary her bail terms so that she could instead stay with her mother in Galway.

Opposing the application, a detective expressed concerns about being able to monitor her outside the jurisdiction.

Defence counsel insisted Redden has complied with all release terms so far. “She was on bail up to the point that the address had to be taken away out of fear for the safety of the homeowner,” he added.

Consenting to Redden’s move to the Republic of Ireland under strict conditions, Madam Justice McBride held that it created no further risk of re-offending.

The judge said: “In light of the difficulty in getting accommodation here, and her own significant health problems, I will grant bail to the address outside the jurisdiction.”

She ordered Redden to report regularly to gardai in Galway and return to Northern Ireland for any future court appearances or police interviews.