Jury discharged at Limerick shooting trial

A JURY was discharged last night after failing to reach a verdict in a case where a man was charged in connection with a sawn-off shotgun attack.

A Limerick trial had heard how a victim suffered massive wounds.

In the case, Liam “Baby” Kelly, aged 20, of Distillery View, Thomondgate denied possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. He was remanded in custody. A bail hearing is expected today.

During the three-day hearing, Ian Brennan, 20, of Westbury, Corbally, claimed Kelly was the man who shot him as he walked to a late night party in St Mary’s Park on September 23, 2007.

Mr Brennan said he clearly saw Kelly and was 110% he was the gunman. He said they both had had an argument in Dick Devane’s pub earlier in the night over a girl they both knew.

When gardaí later arrived at the scene of the shooting, Mr Brennan named Kelly to Det Garda Gerry as the gunman who wounded him in the back and stomach before he was rushed to hospital.

In a follow up search Det Garda Senan O’Sullivan gave evidence of finding Kelly under a bed in a nearby house in which there were two children.

Clothes were being washed in washing machine in the house.

The final prosecution witness, Kim Fahy told the trial yesterday that she was walking towards St Mary’s Park when she heard two shots. A car then came towards her and one of her friends pushed her out of it’s way.

There were two people in the car with hoods pulled tight around their faces, she said.

On contacting the emergency services, after seeing Ian Brennan had been wounded, the ambulance people told her to keep pressure on his wounds until they arrived.

Leeanne “Lulu” Campbell McNamara said she was Kelly’s girlfriend and had been with him at all times after they had been told leave the pub after Kelly and Ian Brennan had an argument earlier.

She and Kelly walked to her sister’s house in St Mary’s Park. While on their way she heard sirens. Kelly never left at any time.

While in the house her sister asked Kelly to go upstairs to give a child his bottle. When gardaí arrived and searched upstairs, she said Kelly was under the bed looking for a baby’s bottle.