A witness in the Josie Dwyer manslaughter trial has claimed that anti-drugs vigilantes, including one of the accused, threatened to kneecap him on the night Mr Dwyer was killed.
Mr Keith Kenny said Mr Hugh Byrne was among the group of men who told him to stop stealing cars and "acting the bollox" or they would break his legs. He also claimed before the jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Mr Byrne tried to crash his car into him some time after Mr Dwyer was killed.
Earlier, the court heard that another accused, Mr William Kenny, told gardai he had no respect for Josie Dwyer who he said had "killed enough children" by selling drugs, but added that nobody had the right to take another person's life and that he had never used violence against drug-dealers.
It was the 14th day of the manslaughter trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of Mr Hugh Byrne (33), Dolphin House; Mr Mark Cooke (25), Dolphin House; Mr John Fitzpatrick (35), Fatima Mansions; and Mr William Kenny (55), St Anthony's Road, all Rialto, Dublin. The four have also been charged with assault causing actual bodily harm to Mr Alan Byrne and with violent disorder on May 14th, 1996.
Prosecutors allege that vigilantes attacked Mr Dwyer and Mr Alan Byrne after an anti-drugs meeting in Dolphin's Barn, Dublin.
Mr Keith Kenny, cross-examined by Mr Diarmuid McGuinness SC for Mr Hugh Byrne, said that on the night of Mr Dwyer's death, he saw a group of people come out of a Concerned Parents meeting in Dolphin's Barn. A group of men threatened him, and Mr Hugh Byrne was present, along with about 20 to 25 men. One of the men appeared to have a hammer or other weapon beneath his shirt.
Mr Kenny denied he tried to crash into the back of Mr Hugh Byrne's car on a later date. He remembered that at the time Mr Byrne repeatedly jammed on his brakes to cause a crash between the two cars.
Mr Kenny agreed with Mr McGuinness that he had a large number of previous convictions which included possession of heroin with intent to supply, and that he had been in a relationship with a relative of Josie Dwyer for some years.