A witness in the Mark Dwyer murder trial told the Central Criminal Court yesterday that she was terrified seeing the accused, Mr Joseph Delaney, looking "angry, agitated and evil" the night Dwyer was shot dead in December 1996.
Ms Adrienne McGuinness (28) said Mark Dwyer was tortured by the accused and three other men wearing balaclavas. She recalled hearing him "screaming in pain on and off for three hours, horrifying screams. I hear him when I close my eyes lying down in bed."
Ms McGuinness, who was in Mr Delaney's house where Mr Dwyer was allegedly taken before he was shot over a drugs theft, told the jury Mr Delaney was the one who was "in control", "grinding his teeth" saying "I'll find out where they (the drugs) are". Ms McGuinness said Mr Delaney "grabbed a steel bar" and that he was "looking mental". Speaking about Mr Dwyer, she said there "wasn't much left in him" when they had finished.
Mr Delaney (53), formerly of La Rochelle, Naas, Co Kildare, has pleaded not guilty to the charge that he, with his son Scott Delaney, then 22, murdered Mr Dwyer (23) on or about December 14th 1996, within the State. Joseph Delaney has also denied that on December 14th, 1996, at Foster Terrace, Ballybough, Dublin, he falsely imprisoned Mr Dwyer against his will.
Giving evidence, Ms McGuinness said she heard the accused say that he was "going to have to get rid of him". His son Scott replied that they would "have to get rid of her (meaning Ms McGuinness) as well." Ms McGuinness was "terrified" that she "was going to be dead as well". She said: "I wanted to grab my keys and run but I wouldn't have made it."
Finishing his evidence yesterday, Christopher Curry (30) said Mr Joseph Delaney had telephoned him after Mr Dwyer was murdered, saying it was "the hardest thing he ever had to do" leaving his son, Scott, with the dead body of Mr Dwyer.
He told the court Mr Delaney said he had left Scott behind to "throw the scent off himself", that no one would think he would leave his own son with Mr Dwyer's body.
Curry (30) has admitted assisting Mr Joseph Delaney with the distribution of cocaine and ecstasy and collecting money for him. However, Curry claims that after an overnight stay in Garda custody while being questioned about the murder, he decided his days of working with Mr Delaney were over. He told gardai he was prepared to "stand in court" and "set up Joe".
Defence counsel Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, for Mr Delaney, suggested to Curry that he was a "double agent" who worked for another man, from Clondalkin, besides Mr Delaney. Mr O'Carroll put it to Curry that his cocaine supplier feared Mr Dwyer would give evidence against him that could "put him away for years", and so Curry wanted Mr Dwyer dead to ensure cheaper cocaine.
Curry denied the suggestions and also denied he told Scott Delaney to wait until Hallowe'en and "Mark would be dead" and that he would "dress up as the grim reaper to do Mark".
The trial continues before Mr Justice Barr and the jury.