The ex-partner of “an extremely dangerous” killer who gunned down a young drug dealer on Dublin’s northside proclaimed herself innocent on Monday, despite a jury finding that she impeded the Garda investigation by collecting the murderer from a bus stop just minutes after the shooting and later checking him into a hotel.
When the 12 jurors left the courtroom having returned unanimous guilty verdicts against Rachel Redmond – the younger sister of Robert “Roo” Redmond – the 34-year-old shouted from the dock: “I didn’t do it though, I didn’t do anything”.
As Rachel Redmond was led away to the cell area by prison officers, a supporter for Jordan “Jordo” Davis (22) – who was shot dead “in a cold-blooded and calculated execution” while pushing his four-month-old son in a pram – shouted back: “Justice is done finally for the child” and “I hope she rots”.
The jury had heard how Mr Davis, a drug dealer, was shot to death in broad daylight six years ago by Wayne Cooney, who fired at him eight times in a laneway beside Our Lady Immaculate Junior National School in Darndale on Dublin’s northside. Mr Davis suffered three gunshot wounds including one to the head that killed him instantly.
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The jury took seven hours and 33 minutes over three days to unanimously accept the State’s case that Rachel Redmond drove the gunman – her former partner and convicted murderer Cooney – away from the scene and later checked him into the Clayton Hotel near Dublin Airport on the night of the murder.
Taking the stand at her own trial, Rachel Redmond had denied that she had an “agenda” to collect Cooney after he “executed” the young father, telling a jury that she did not think he would be capable of carrying out a murder.
Rachel Redmond told the jury that she didn’t know Cooney had committed “any crime at all” when she drove him away from the scene and later checked him into a hotel.
In his closing speech, Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC with Simon Matthews BL, prosecuting, described Rachel Redmond’s testimony as “absolutely risible”.
Dominic McGinn SC, defending, urged the jurors not to convict his client because of the sins of other people around her. “We can’t point the finger at Rachel Redmond because her boyfriend is the killer and her brother is involved. You can’t convict her by association,” he said.
The jury had heard that Cooney had been convicted of the murder in 2022, while the defendant’s older brother and career criminal, Robert “Roo” Redmond, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to conspiring together with Cooney to murder Mr Davis on or about May 22nd, 2019, and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Cooney was described by the prosecution as having acted like “a shark patrolling the ocean looking for its prey” when he was seen on a distinctive orange bicycle in the Darndale area for three days before he fired eight bullets at Mr Davis, striking him three times.
In his charge to the jury, Mr Justice Paul Burns said the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that Rachel Redmond knew Cooney had murdered Mr Davis at the time she did the acts complained of. He said subsequent knowledge was not enough.
After the jury gave its verdicts, defence counsel Keith Spencer BL asked for Rachel Redmond to remain on bail so that she could put her affairs in order.
Mr Ó Dúnlaing, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said he was opposing the application and asked that Rachel Redmond be remanded in custody.
Mr Justice Burns pointed out that the defendant’s status had changed and she had been convicted of “this very serious offence”.
At this point, Rachel Redmond interjected from the dock and said aloud: “I didn’t do it though, I didn’t do anything”. She added: “I shouldn’t be here, I didn’t do anything.”
Mr Justice Burns remanded Ms Redmond in custody until May 12th, when her sentence hearing will take place.
Ms Redmond (34) from Coolock but with an address at Clifdenville Road, Cliftonville Avenue, north Belfast, Co Antrim was charged on two counts that on or about May 22nd and May 23rd 2019, she did knowingly or believing that another person, namely Wayne Cooney, committed an arrestable offence, to wit murder, without reasonable excuse did an act with intent to impede his apprehension or prosecution.
Rachel Redmond had pleaded not guilty to the two counts.
Mr Ó Dúnlaing said a victim impact statement had been prepared by Mr Davis’s family on a previous occasion.
The trial heard Ms Redmond was in phone contact with Cooney just five minutes after the shooting and remained talking to him for over three minutes. She later went to the Clayton Hotel that night, where she used her own bank card to pay for a room for Cooney while he remained out of sight.
It was also the State’s case that drug dealer Robert Redmond was engaged “in some acrimony” with Mr Davis. A detective testified that “tick lists” found at two addresses linked to Robert Redmond had contained the name “Jordo” with amounts up to €153,000 recorded as owing; €70,000 was written beside one entry with the words “not yet” in capital letters.
Evidence was given that Mr Davis was told by Robert Redmond “I’m on your case mate, it won’t be long” and “soon, very soon bang bang”, 19 days before he was shot to death.
