A man accused of firearms offences put a gun to his girlfriend's head and threatened to kill her, a protected witness told the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
Ms Rachel Stephens was giving evidence in the trial of Mr Mark Desmond, who is accused of unlawful possession of firearms with intent to endanger life.
Ms Stephens said that in December 1999 she was in the home of the accused man's girlfriend, Ms Jennifer Devine, in Landen Road, Ballyermot, when the accused came in with a gun.
She said that another woman had been upstairs smoking heroin. The accused thought Ms Devine had been smoking the heroin. "He put the gun to her and said if he caught her smoking heroin he'd kill her", Ms Stephens said.
Questioned by Mr Patrick Gageby SC, prosecuting, on the type of weapon involved, Ms Stephens replied: "It was a long gun with two holes at the end of it."
Counsel asked: "What did he do with the gun?" Ms Stephens replied: "He put it to her neck."
Cross-examined by Mark Desmond, defending himself, Ms Stephens admitted that in previous statements to the gardaí she had "falsely implicated" him in the murders of Darren Carey and Patrick Murray in December 1999.
The trial continues today.