Witnesses to the murder of Veronica Guerin told the Special Criminal Court yesterday of seeing a motorcycle pillion passenger firing shots into the journalist's car while it was stopped at traffic lights.
Mr Michael Kirby said: "This guy was shooting somebody in the car. I saw the gun. It was like something you would see on TV. It was a very large gun. It looked as if it had a long barrel."
Another man, Mr Brian McNamara, said he heard what he thought was a backfire and then saw somebody shooting into the driver's side of a car.
The court also heard from the State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, that the Sunday In- dependent journalist was shot six times and that the fatal bullet entered her right arm causing a wound to her sub-clavian artery, the main artery carrying blood to the arm.
It was the second day of the trial of Mr Brian Meehan (34), of no fixed abode, formerly of Clifton Court, Dublin, and Stanaway Road, Crumlin, Dublin, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Guerin (36), a mother of one, at Naas Road, Clondalkin, Dublin, on June 26th, 1996.
He also denies 16 other charges alleging that he unlawfully imported cannabis resin into the State on various dates between July 1st, 1994 and October 6th, 1996; that he unlawfully possessed cannabis resin for the purpose of sale or supply on the same dates; and that on or about October 3rd, 1996, at Unit 1B, Greenmount Industrial Estate, Harold's Cross, Dublin, he had cannabis resin for sale or supply.
He has also pleaded not guilty to having a Sten sub-machinegun, silencer barrel, two magazines, a 9mm Agram machine pistol, five Walther semi-automatic pistols, four magazines and 1,057 rounds of assorted ammunition with intent to endanger life at Oldcourt Road, Tallaght, Dublin between November 10th, 1995 and October 3rd, 1996.
Mr Michael Kirby said that he was giving driving instructions in the passenger seat of a lorry which was stopped at traffic lights on the Naas Road.
"I heard what sounded like a crack, followed by a few more. The driver's window was open. I looked out and I saw what was taking place. This guy was shooting somebody in the car."
He said the gunman was holding the gun with both hands. Mr Kirby said the gunman, who was the pillion passenger on the motorcycle, then sped off towards Newlands Cross.
He said he heard six shots and that they happened "in seconds". The two people on the motorcycle were wearing dark clothing and dark helmets, he said. He added that as soon as the motorbike sped off it was followed by a blue Volvo car.
Cross-examined by defence counsel Mr John McCrudden QC, for Mr Meehan, Mr Kirby agreed that he also saw another car, possibly a Nissan Primera, following the Volvo car and motorcycle.
Mr Brian McNamara said he and his wife were waiting at traffic lights at the Boot Road/Naas Road junction when he thought he heard something backfire.
When he looked to his right he saw somebody shooting into a car on the driver's side.
He said there was a motorcycle with two people and the pillion passenger seemed to be the one doing the shooting. Mr McNamara said he heard about two shots.
He said the gunman "seemed to lean over with the gun for the last few shots and then the gun went into the jacket".
Mr McNamara said the motorcycle then moved off quickly towards Newlands Cross and he got out of his car and ran over to the red car. He looked in and came back to his wife and said to her that someone had been shot.
Two nurses at the scene of the shooting told the court of their efforts to give assistance to Ms Guerin.
Ms Brenda Grogan, who was travelling to work at a Dublin hospital, said she got out of her car after the traffic didn't move when the lights turned green. She went to a red car and saw a man helping a woman who was slumped over the passenger seat.
"I felt for a pulse on her neck. We were joined by another nurse. We moved her to try and clear her airway. We put her upright in the driver's seat. She was dead."
Mrs Michelle Wall, who is also a nurse, said she got out of her car to give assistance. She saw a woman slumped over the passenger seat. She also saw blood on the woman's hands and she tried to feel for a pulse.
Mrs Wall said she noticed a small black hole at the back of the woman's shoulder and another hole in her blouse. Mrs Wall said she knew the woman was dead.
The State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, told the court that Ms Guerin was hit by six bullets, but there were more than six wounds because some of the bullets had entered and exited her body several times.
He found a bullet embedded in the right sternum mastoid muscle and another bullet in her left collar bone.
All the injuries were consistent with bullet wounds and the fatal bullet had caused an injury to the right sub-clavian artery which is the main artery supplying blood to the arm.
One bullet had entered very low on her back and travelled upwards through her left lung, and it appeared that Ms Guerin had fallen or crawled to her left and the bullet had then entered her body.
This bullet was almost certainly the last bullet fired into her body. Dr Harbison said it was also possible that Ms Guerin had been shot as she raised her right arm to deflect a bullet.
He said Ms Guerin died from "shock and haemorrhage from a wound to her right sub-clavian artery and lacerations to her lungs".
The trial continues today.