Gun victim denies he knew who shot him

A SHOOTING victim who identified the gunman in a statement to gardaí yesterday told Limerick Circuit Court he did not know who was responsible.

Michael Lynch, of O’Malley Park, Southill, said he was shot and wounded and that a single bullet entered his back and exited through his chest.

As a result his liver was lacerated, a kidney was injured, a lung punctured and a rib fractured.

Anthony Kelly, aged 50, of 121 O’Malley Park, Southhill, has pleaded not guilty to possessing a Glock pistol with intent to endanger life at Southill on October 28, 2009.

The trial was earlier told Kelly’s daughter, Jessie Kelly, was in a relationship with Michael Lynch, who the accused is alleged to have shot after a row broke out between members of the families on the night of October 27/28, 2009.

Michael Lynch’s mother, Mary Lynch, of 556 Castle Oaks, O’Malley Park, Southill, earlier told the trial she saw Anthony Kelly produce a gun and shoot her son, Michael, after an incident near Kelly’s house.

In evidence yesterday, Michael Lynch, aged 29, after outlining his injuries, said he could not say who shot him as he had been hit in the back.

On the application of state prosecutor John O’Sullivan BL, he was treated as hostile. He agreed with Mr O’Sullivan that he gave a statement to gardaí on June 18, 2010, in which he said: “I was shot by a gun by Anthony Kelly of O’Malley Park, Limerick City.”

Lynch said he believed what he said in the statement to the gardaí to be the truth at the time he made it. This, he said, was based on hearsay and he was now under oath and would not stand over something unless it was 100% true.

Gerard Lynch, aged 25, in evidence said he was outside Anthony Kelly’s house. They went there to ask why Jessica Kelly had earlier assaulted their mother. He said Anthony Kelly came out shouting with a gun and fired two or three shots at them.

Anthony Kelly, he said, was wearing white gloves when he fired the gun and he had no doubt who fired the shots.

He and his brother, Michael, were about 100 or 150 metres from Kelly when he fired the shots.

Gerard Lynch said he did not realise his brother was hit until his jacket was opened and he could see all the blood.

In cross-examination, by Brendan Nix BL, for Kelly, Lynch denied he and his brother went to Kelly’s house armed with a gun and fired shots in the air to draw Kelly out of his house.

He denied accidentally shooting his brother as he fired into the air like Hamas. Lynch said the gardaí found no guns on them when they came to the scene.