Man used homemade shotgun, prosecution claims

A Co Offaly man used a homemade shotgun to shoot dead a 20-year-old man at a cider party in Birr, a prosecution lawyer alleged at a murder trial today.

Opening the State’s case against Oliver Coleman, aged 36, Mr John Edwards SC told the court that the accused returned to the house armed with the gun following a verbal row with Mr Michael Rosney.

Mr Coleman of Cloniffeen, Shannonbridge, Co Offaly has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michael Rosney at Beechgrove, Belmont, Birr, Co Offaly on August 23, 2001.

He has also denied two further charges of the possession of a firearm and ammunition with the intent to endanger life on the same date.

On the night in question Mr Coleman was one of five men aged between 15 and 34 years who returned to a house in the Beechgrove estate to continue a cider party they’d begun earlier in the day.

"Oliver Coleman fell asleep on a mattress in the sitting room and one of the other young men contacted Michael Rosney and invited him to join the party," Mr Edwards told the jury.

Mr Rosney arrived at the house at around 9pm and sometime later when the accused woke up a "verbal altercation" transpired between him and Mr Rosney.

"As a result of this incident the State alleges that Oliver Coleman left the house in a state of anger and got into his car and drove off," counsel continued.

He retrieved "a homemade contraption" described as "an antique modified to working order in quite an ingenious fashion" from his mobile home and returned to the house.

"Armed with this object Mr Coleman effectively broke in the front door," counsel said. The State allege that he located Mr Rosney in the front sitting room of the house and discharged a single shot from the firearm which entered the victim’s chest.

"As a result of that shot Michael Rosney sustained very serious injuries from which he later died," he added.

The court is expected to hear details of the incident from a number of witnesses who were at the scene.

The trial continues tomorrow before a jury and Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill.