Witness: Gardaí offered me money
Audrias Grigiliunas, a 45-year-old baker, of Ardmoniel Heights, Killorglin, Co Kerry, alleged that gardaí called to him three weeks after he had been arrested for allegedly withholding information and said they knew the accused had killed a mother and her young daughter.
Aurimas Andruska, aged 28, of Ardmoniel Heights, Killorglin, Co Kerry, has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Jolanta Lubiene, aged 27, and her daughter Enrika, aged 8, at 9, Langford Downs, Killorglin, between June 14 and 16, 2013.
On day 16 of the trial at the Central Criminal Court, in Tralee, Mr Grigiliunas, speaking through an interpreter, said he could not name the gardaí he claimed offered him money, but said he had seen them in court during the trial.
Prosecuting counsel Isobel Kennedy, who suggested a number of times during Mr Grigiliunas’s evidence that he was telling lies, said his allegation that gardaí had offered him money was “utter nonsense’’.
When Ms Kennedy cross-examined Mr Grigiliunas earlier on contradictions between his direct evidence to the court and a statement he made to the gardaí, on June 22, he said he had been drunk and in a state of shock.
The murders are believed to have occurred some time after 2pm on June 15. In evidence, Mr Grigiliunas said he and Mr Andruska were at home in Ardmoniel Heights between 2pm and 4pm, on June 15, after shopping and visiting a bookmaker’s. He said they watched a DVD, as well as eating a meal and smoking cigarettes.
He said Mr Andruska was never out of his company for more than three minutes. Another man called to the house some time after 4pm and Mr Grigiliunas said he knew that man and Mr Andruska were going to a party that night.
However, Ms Kennedy said his June 22 statement, which detailed his activities on June 15, made no mention of Mr Andruska and she suggested he was lying.
Mr Grigiliunas denied this, saying: “I do not lie. I was mixed up with everything on that date... lots of detectives asking me questions. It is possible I would have signed anything they gave me to sign.’’
He was also cross-examined over interviews with gardaí during the three days of his detention, after making the statement.
In a tape played in court yesterday, he replied ‘’yes’’ after being asked by gardaí in Killorglin Garda station if there were a couple of hours when Mr Andruska was not in the house on June 15.
The trial continues.
