Jennifer Dornan killer uses legal aid to challenge attempts to have his trial cost bill revealed

A convicted murderer seeking to prevent publication of his legal aid bill is using the same scheme to fund the High Court challenge, it emerged on Wednesday.

Raymond O’Neill has issued judicial review proceedings in an attempt to block publication of costs relating to his trial for killing mother-of-three Jennifer Dornan.

His lawyers claim the planned disclosure by Northern Ireland’s Legal Services Agency (LSA) breaches data protection and privacy rights.

O’Neill, 47, is serving a minimum 22-year sentence for stabbing Ms Dornan to death and then setting fire to her west Belfast home in August 2015.

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The fatal knife attack was launched after the 30-year-old victim was followed back to the house at Hazel View in the Lagmore area.

O’Neill denied killing Ms Dornan and claimed that he suffered from memory loss due to being poisoned by prison staff in Dublin.

But in 2022 a Belfast Crown Court jury unanimously convicted him of murder and arson.

His legal challenge centres on the LSA’s response to a request by the Belfast Telegraph newspaper for details on how much was spent on his defence at the trial.

The agency, a Department of Justice body which manages legal aid, concluded that the information should be published.

O’Neill has applied for a judicial review against the LSA in a bid to prevent disclosure of those details.

During a brief preliminary hearing on Wednesday solicitor Fergal McGoldrick, representing the Belfast Telegraph as a notice party, sought clarification in connection with funding for the case.

Pressed further by the judge, counsel for O’Neill confirmed that legal aid has been obtained.

The ongoing challenge is also expected to be widened out to include the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Lawyers for the convicted murderer contend there is not a proper legislative regime in place for pre-emptive action to stop the release of legal aid details.

With the main challenge expected to be dealt with sometime next year, Mr Justice McAlinden listed another review in January.