A witness at the Central Criminal Court trial of a Dublin man accused of killing a 32-year-old father of two in north Dublin three years ago has denied that he acted as a vigilante on the night of the incident.
Emmet Taaffe told defence counsel Brendan Grehan in cross-examination that he had not attacked a group of youths for revenge for an attack on his younger brother, "Tone".
"How could I be acting like a vigilante? I was acting like a concerned brother."
Peter Dolan (42), Tulip Court, Darndale, Dublin, denies the murder of Raymond Brown during a disturbance at Clonshaugh Drive, Coolock, on April 2nd, 2005. He also denies assaulting Emmet Taaffe.
Earlier, Tone Taaffe told prosecuting counsel Paul Burns SC that on arrival home, a group of youths sitting on a wall shouted abuse at him.
He said that his father-in-law, who lived with him, had told him the group had been troublesome earlier.
Tone Taaffe said he asked them to move on but they refused. He went into the house and came out with a baseball bat. He denied he was intending to do anything other than frighten the group, but one of them threw a crutch at him. "I chased him and another lad came up behind me and hit me with another bat."
Emmet Taaffe said he got a call from his brother at about 1am. "He said he had been hit across the head with a crutch and that youths were outside taunting him and his children were in the house screaming."
Emmet Taaffe phoned another brother, Pádraig. He said he had not pressured his best friend, Mr Brown, to come with him; he was just "being a friend". Emmet Taaffe said they drove past Tone's house and saw a group of 18 to 20 people nearby. One had a crutch.
Pádraig Taaffe told Mr Burns that Emmett asked him did he have "anything" in the car. When he said he didn't they drove back to his house to fetch a baseball bat and two "monkey" hats because Mr Brown was afraid of being recognised.
Emmet Taaffe said Mr Brown was carrying no weapon. He denied being the leader of an armed posse. He said he ran into the group swinging the bat and must have hit four or five people. Mr Brown was punching and kicking.
He looked around and saw Mr Brown fighting in a front garden. He said he knew the man he was fighting and shouted to Mr Brown that he was fighting the wrong person. He said he then saw Mr Dolan come out of a house and run over to Mr Brown. He appeared to "dig" him several times but then he saw the "glint" of the blade in the street light.
Emmet Taaffe helped Mr Brown into the back seat, then got into the front passenger seat and the car took off at speed. When he turned around he found his friend had fallen out. Mr Brown later died in hospital.
The trial continues.