Man shot when he went outside for a smoke

A man was shot and wounded after he went to the front door of his house to have a cigarette, Limerick Circuit Court heard yesterday.

Ian Horgan, aged 30, with an address at 68 Lenihan Avenue, Limerick, has pleaded not guilty to having a shotgun with intent to endanger life at Byrne Avenue, Prospect.

John O’Sullivan, prosecuting, said it is alleged that Mr Horgan discharged a shotgun at 33 Byrne Avenue on the evening of December 12, 2013, with intent to endanger life.

Leanne Casey was at home with Sean Finnan and two children, a baby and two-year-old toddler.

Mr Finnan, aged 26, went out to the front door of the house for a smoke.

He was standing at the front door which was open when two men appeared outside the front gate.

Mr O’Sullivan said it was the prosecution case that Ian Horgan was one of the two and had a shotgun which he fired at Mr Finnan.

Mr Finnan was wounded and pellets lodged in his abdomen and also hit the house.

The injuries suffered by Mr Finnan were not life- threatening.

Leanne Casey was able to identify Mr Horgan, as he was known to her and was in close proximity to her at the time of the attack.

Mr Finnan would not be a prosecution witnesss and they could not speculate why this was so.

Mr O’Sullivan said it was important that the prosecution evidence could also connect Mr Horgan to the shooting from firearm residue found on his hands, face and clothing.

Scene-of-crime photographer Garda Vincent Donnellan gave evidence of finding wadding from a shotgun cartridge at the front gate and shotgun pellets lodged in the front door.

There was a trail of blood from the front door into the kitchen. He also found a blood stained T-shirt on a couch in the house.

The trial continues before Judge Tom O’Donnell and a jury of six men and six women.