The trial of two Dublin men accused of murder has heard that the dead man had been allegedly involved in an assault outside a Clondalkin pub and in the years since then three of the assailants have been shot, two fatally.
It is alleged by the State that the dead man, Jonathan O'Reilly of St Mark's Gardens, Clondalkin, was shot outside Cloverhill Prison as he sat in a BMW car.
At the Central Criminal Court defence barrister John Phelan SC told the jury that two of the assailants in the Clondalkin pub assault, including Mr O'Reilly, have since been shot dead, a third was shot and wounded and a fourth was driven off the road by another vehicle.
Brian Kenny (36), Kilshane Cross, Finglas, Co Dublin and Thomas Hinchon (25), St Ronan's Close, Clondalkin, have denied the murder of Mr O'Reilly on April 17th, 2004.
Mr Kenny also pleaded not guilty to threatening to kill Joseph O'Callaghan on April 17th, 2004 at Finglas, Dublin. He also denies having a Beretta single automatic shotgun on May 10th, 2004 at Michelstown Cottage, Kilshane Cross, Dublin. He also pleaded not guilty to having shotgun cartridges on the same date. Mr Hinchon pleaded not guilty also to threatening to kill Mr O'Callaghan on April 17th, 2004.
Yesterday, David Murray from Clondalkin told prosecuting counsel Seán Guerin BL that he was in the back seat of the car when his friend was shot. Mr Murray said that on the day of the incident, he and Mr O'Reilly were in Mr Murray's home when Robbie O'Hanlon from Lucan rang Mr O'Reilly's mobile phone and asked the pair if they wanted to go to Liffey Valley shopping centre. Mr Murray said Gordon Kelly was sitting in the back of the car with him while Mr O'Reilly was in the passenger seat.
On the way to the shopping centre, Mr O'Hanlon said he was going to drop clothes off to his brother in Cloverhill Pprison. Mr O'Hanlon ran into the prison to hand in the clothes, leaving the other three in the car. "Two blokes came on a motorbike," Mr Murray said.
The motorbike, Mr Murray said, "stopped at the passenger side, right up at the door". Then, he said, "three shots were fired". "A gun was produced by the man on the back of the motorbike," Mr Murray told the jury.
"Jonathan dived towards the driver side, he said 'ah', when he was shot", Mr Murray told the jury. "I ducked when the shots were fired," he added.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael Peart.