Simon Flannery: indecent image charges against top Northern Ireland trampoline coach likely to be withdrawn soon

Last month, Belfast Magistrates Court heard that 41-year-old Simon Flannery had been found dead in a Budapest hotel and on Friday, defence solicitor Adrian Harvey confirmed he had been sent a screenshot of the Hungarian death certificate.

He told District Judge Steven Keown he ought to have a physical copy by next week “and that will be provided to the court,” adding that he will also have to liaise with the Health Department in the Republic of Ireland.

Flannery, originally from Co. Mayo but who had been living on the Upper Lisburn Road in Belfast, had been charged with possessing, making and distributing indecent images of children.

The 41-year-old, a former barber who was awarded the coach of the year accolade in 2019, was alleged to have committed the offences between March 25, 2020 and November 29 last year.

Until his arrest, Flannery had been the head of the trampoline programme at Northern Ireland’s largest trampoline club and had been involved in training some of Northern Ireland’s best trampoline gymnasts, many of whom have competed all over the world.

In court on Friday, the PPS said that in addition to the death certificate being lodged with the court, “it has to go through the Assistant Director of the PPS” before the case can be marked was withdrawn.

Judge Keown adjourned the case to July 4.