A man accused of the murder of his son told garda∅ he was "deeply sorry" for what had happened and that "he didn't set out to hurt anyone", a murder trial jury heard yesterday.
Gerry Connell (54) of Clyduff West, Lisnagry, Co Limerick has pleaded not guilty in the Central Criminal Court to the murder of his son Barry Connell (25) at the family home on June 9th, 1999.
Det Gda Declan Mulcahy told prosecuting counsel Mr John Edwards SC that the accused made a written statement after his arrest.
Mr Connell said in the statement that on the night of the shooting, "I was very frightened, I hadn't used the gun for 15 years. I am deeply sorry for what happened, I didn't set out to hurt anyone." On the day before the incident Gerry Connell had observed his son talking strangely.
"He said he had a message off the radio. He said, 'I have been elected in the election, I'm being followed by helicopters, people are out to get me'."
The sister of the deceased had asked her father if Barry was alright on the day he died. "She said he was up the road saying there was going to be a lot of guards around tonight." Mr Gerry Connell became very upset by this and went down to a field and cried.
At around 9.10 p.m. on the night of the incident, Barry Connell and his father got into an argument about Barry's drinking. He told his son "he thought they had an understanding about drinking".
"I noticed a wild look in his eyes that I had never seen before. The stare in his eyes was definitely frightening." He said his son passed some comment about the garda∅ as he walked away from his father and said he would drive the tractor through the house. Mr Gerry Connell proceeded into his house from where he retrieved a shotgun and returned to the yard.
Gerry Connell stated: "The thought of cartridges didn't cross my mind. When the shot was fired, I remember raising the gun, I cannot recall taking the safety catch off or pulling the trigger...I cannot say if one or two shots were fired. I know I did not load the gun that night, but would have years earlier, as my wife Noreen was scared we would be robbed as there was a number of robberies in the area at that time."
Mr Connell also said in his statement how he and his late wife had tried to help their only son Barry, who he said had a "behavioural problem" since about the age of 16 or 17. They had also sought medical treatment for their son a number of times and Mr Connell had rung the garda∅ for assistance on a previous occasion. The trial continues today before Mr Justice Liam McKechnie.