People panicked at party, murder trial hears

A witness told a murder trial jury today that a group of people at a house party “panicked” because they thought an angry gang was waiting outside the house.

At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Colin Roe was giving defence evidence on the ninth day of the trial of Mr Stephen Kelly, of Westpark, Artane, Dublin who denies the murder of a young electronic technician.

Mr Roe said that he delayed leaving the house because a number of people with weapons were surrounding the house. “I looked out the window and there were people standing in the garden with weapons in their hands,” he said.

He added that he also saw a sweeping brush handle and a steel pole being thrown into the back garden of the house from an adjacent laneway.

Mr Kelly denies murdering Mr Jonathan Guy (aged 21) of Belcamp Crescent, Priorswood outside a house at Newgrove Estate, Donaghmede, Dublin in March 2001. Mr Guy spent a week in Beaumont Hospital after suffering a stab wound to the chest as he stood outside a house in the early hours of March 4. His condition deteriorated and he died as a result of his injuries on March 11.

As he left the house, the witness said he heard shouts of “send ‘em out, I’m gonna kill ‘em”.

“They were annoyed and angry, the people inside thought there was a big gang outside,” he said.

Under cross-examination by Mr Tom O’Connell SC for the prosecution Mr Roe denied that he had discussed the case with the accused although he has seen him “30 or 40” times since the incident.

“It’s not something you’d talk about,” he said. He admitted he had been in trouble with the gardai previously for trespassing and burglary.

Defence evidence will continue tomorrow before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury.