Knocknaheeny trial: Teen denies claims

A TEENAGER who claimed attackers danced on his head, threw him into the boot of a car and drove him to a cemetery, denied yesterday he would say anything in support of his own gang to get other men convicted.

Darren Lenehan, 19, was giving evidence in the trial related to the crashing of two cars that resulted in the deaths of two teens. Six men, facing various charges arising out of a series of incidents culminating in the deaths of two teenagers, are on trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

It was put to Mr Lenehan that he would be hammered by “the Heaphy gang” if he gave evidence that was not in their favour and against others on trial. Witness replied that he wouldn’t give that evidence anyway.

Mr Lenehan said in his direct evidence: “They started dancing all over me — I was trying to protect myself. I saw their faces.” He identified the attackers as Philip Murphy, Thomas Murphy, Shane Ahern and James Quilligan.

The witness claimed he was in the boot of the car for about 10-15 minutes and feared he was going to be killed as he heard one man shouting, “Shoot the fucker, he’s with the Heaphys — he’s one of them.”

He said he was driven to Currykippane cemetery where four men began hitting him again and left him there. He said he walked back to Knocknaheeny to find his friends, CJ Dolan and Derry O’Callaghan had been seriously injured. Mr Lenehan said he accepted he could have been mistaken in identifying Quilligan as one of his attackers after John Phelan SC said he would produce evidence his client was in Tralee on the day of the incident.

Philip Murphy, 40, of 58 Killala Gardens, Knocknaheeny, and James Simms, 27, of Adelaide Terrace, Cork, are both accused of dangerous driving of cars on Friday May 14 on Harbour View Road causing the death of CJ Dolan, 16, and Derry O’Callaghan, 19. Philip Murphy is additionally charged with false imprisonment of Darren Lenehan on the same date and driving while under the influence of the intoxicant, cannabis.

James Quilligan, 23, of 4, St Martin’s Park, Tralee, Co Kerry, along with Shane Ahern, 21, formerly of Willow Bank, Fairhill, Cork, and Thomas Murphy, 42, of 23 Spriggs Road, Gurranabraher, Cork, are all accused of falsely imprisoning Darren Lenehan at Hollywood Estate, Blarney Road, Cork, on May 13.

John Heaphy, 24, of 7 Oak Drive, Classis Lake, Ballincollig, Co Cork, is charged with threatening to damage property likely to endanger life.

The case continues.