Two US teens will face separate trials next year over the death of north Clare Teenager Phoebe Prince.
The 15 year old took her own life after what prosecutors described as a relentless campaign of bullying by other students.
At a brief pre- trial hearing in Northampton Massachusetts yesterday the attorney for one of the accused 17 year old Kayla Narey said he would ask a judge to dismiss the charges against his client while legal representation for Sean Mulveyhill, another teenager charged in the case, said he was considering filing a similar motion.
Both accused have been charged in connection with events before the suicide of South Hadley High School pupil Phoebe, who had just recently relocated to the US from Fanore in North Clare.
Kayla Narey is charged with criminal harassment and civil rights violations resulting in bodily injury but speaking in court yesterday her attorney said that she never hurt Phoebe, never threatened physical harm nor did anything to cause Phoebe to hurt herself.
Under a tentative timeline set yesterday, Kayla’s case could go to trial in the first few months of 2011, with Sean Mulveyhill’s to follow in mid-spring.
In all six teenagers are facing charges in the case .. with all pleading not guilty
Three of the others — Ashley Longe, Sharon Chanon Velazquez and Flannery Mullins — were 16 when they were arrested, and their cases are being handled in the Juvenile Court. They are scheduled to appear next Thursday.
Sean Mulveyhill and another boy, 19-year-old Austin Renaud, have been charged with statutory rape and Mr Renaud is set to appear on October 4 in Hampshire Superior Court for a similar scheduling hearing.
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