A jury has been told that a man serving a life sentence for murdering Brian Fitzgerald in Limerick in 2002 will give evidence that the four men now before the court had taken part in planning and carrying out the shooting.
The opening day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting at Cloverhill in Dublin before Mr Justice Peter Charleton heard a graphic account from Alice Fitzgerald about seeing her husband struggling with a man in a motorcycle helmet the night he was killed outside their home.
In his opening address Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, told the jury his main witness, James Martin Cahill, had pleaded guilty to actually committing the murder but would say that the four accused men had taken part in its planning and execution.
Gary Campion (24), Pineview Gardens, Moyross, Limerick, John (27) and Desmond (23) Dundon, Ballinacurra, Weston, Co Limerick, and Anthony Kelly (50), Kilrush, Co Clare, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Fitzgerald (34), a nightclub doorman, on November 29th, 2002, at Brookhaven Walk, Mill Road, Corbally, Limerick.
Mr Buckley said Cahill would say that he had moved to live with an uncle in Clare at the age of 15 where he got to know Mr Kelly through a friendship with his two sons.
On November 25th, 2002, he would say, he was contacted by either Mr Kelly or his son and told to bring a change of clothes with him the following day.
The next day he was collected by Mr Kelly's son and driven into Limerick city. Mr Kelly followed behind in his car. In Limerick they went to meet a Mr "B" (who cannot be named for legal reasons) at a shopping centre.
After this they drove to Desmond Dundon's house where Cahill left his clothes. He stayed at this address that night.
Mr Buckley told the jurors that Cahill would tell them that the following morning he caught the early train to Dublin where he was to meet Mr "A", the man who was ordering the killing, and Mr "C", who was to drive the motorbike during the attack.
He was met at Heuston Station by another man, Mr "D", who also cannot be named for legal reasons. Mr D brought Cahill to his house, then they left to find Mr C. They tracked him down to a pub near his home and were then met by Mr A, in a four-wheel drive.
Mr A asked Mr C if he would drive a motorbike for a job he needed to be done. He did not specify what that job was. Mr C said he would, he had a fast bike, a Ducatti.
Cahill would say that after this meeting, Mr A drove him to Kildare where they booked into a hotel for the night. The following day they drove in the direction of Portlaoise and stopped in a small restaurant. They were joined by Mr B. Mr A asked Cahill if he would kill Mr Fitzgerald for €10,000. Cahill said he would.
After the meal, Mr A left and Mr B drove Cahill back to Anthony Kelly's house.
Mr Kelly met them at the door and brought them in, then had a brief conversation with his son, who had arrived soon afterwards. Mr Kelly's son went away and returned with a gun and two plastic clips of bullets. Mr Kelly then showed Cahill how to load and use the gun. Mr Buckley said at this time Mr Kelly was aware of the plan to kill Mr Fitzgerald.
The next day Mr B picked him up. Cahill had the gun and the two bullet clips. They went to Mr B's house where they met the two Dundon brothers, then they went to meet Mr C, who was arriving from Dublin.
Mr C told them that the Ducatti was "f***ed". Mr Campion was called and he attempted to fix the bike without success. They hid it and went back to Mr B's house.
They discussed the murder. Mr C became apprehensive and said he wanted to pull out, so Mr Campion was asked if he wanted to drive the motorbike instead. He agreed.
Cahill would say that the following day he dressed in the clothes he had previously left in Mr B's house.
The Dundon brothers showed him where Mr Fitzgerald lived and John Dundon pointed out a secluded area near the house where they could hide until Mr Fitzgerald arrived.
Then they drove to the club where he worked and Desmond Dundon pointed him out so that Cahill could get a good look at him. Cahill and Mr Campion then went to back to the house, waiting for Desmond Dundon to tell them when Mr Fitzgerald left for home. After about two hours they received a call from Desmond Dundon who told them that Mr Fitzgerald was on his way. Mr Buckley said it appeared that Mr Dundon had been following him because he said at one stage that Mr Fitzgerald was not alone in the car.
He had in fact given a lift to one of his colleagues.
When Mr Fitzgerald arrived home, Cahill would say he started running towards him with the gun in his hands as Mr Fitzgerald got out of his vehicle. Mr Fitzgerald saw the two men and shouted they were "f***ing c***s" and that he would fight them.
Cahill ran towards him, falling as he ran, and fired several shots. Mr Fitzgerald was hit but got up and ran into the road with Cahill following him and started banging on a neighbour's door. Cahill followed him, shooting him several more times.
Cahill would say Mr Fitzgerald fell down a second time but did not get up again. Cahill walked up to him and shot him in the head at point-blank range as instructed by Mr A.
Mr Campion was nearby. The two of them then searched Mr Fitzgerald and his vehicle where, Cahill would say, they found a small handgun. He would also say that as he ran after Mr Fitzgerald he twisted his ankle.
Cahill and Mr Campion then went back to Mr B's house to tell him Mr Fitzgerald was dead. Cahill then travelled to Belfast via Dublin and met Mr A. They booked into a hotel where they met John Dundon and the three of them discussed the murder.
After a couple of days Cahill travelled to Manchester where he met Mr Kelly and again discussed the murder.
The trial continues.