Principal made manslaughter accused write version of incident

The principal of Blackrock College has told the Brian Murphy manslaughter trial that he met one of the accused and another former student the morning after the incident and they wrote down their versions of what happened.

Mr Alan McGinty told Dublin Circuit Criminal he spoke to past pupils Dermot Laide and Alan Dalton the day after Brian Murphy was kicked to death outside the Burlington Hotel.

He told Mr Brendan Grehan SC, prosecuting, that Mr Laide said he and Andrew Frame, another accused, were involved in an altercation with "a guy in a red shirt".

Mr Laide told his former principal that a group of lads had attacked Mr Frame and he went to his defence. Mr Laide said he recalled lashing out at the boy in the red shirt with his foot and catching him across the legs.

Mr McGinty said Mr Laide told him he got hit in the face and he reacted by throwing a punch but didn't know who he connected with. The incident all happened in about 10 or 15 seconds.

Witness told Mr Grehan (with Mr Edward Comyn SC), that he suggested that Mr Laide and his friend, Mr Dalton, write down everything they could remember because it was a very serious incident and if it was on paper it would be fresh in their minds if needed at a subsequent date.

Mr McGinty said he didn't witness them writing out their accounts of what happened but he signed one of the accounts and Fr Tom Nash signed the other. He wasn't sure which he signed.

Mr McGinty said Mr Laide told him that the boy in red had fallen and was moved across the road before he was brought back to the front of the Burlington Hotel. He said the ambulance was slow in arriving and was also reluctant to take the injured person away.

Mr Laide also told Mr McGinty there was a subsequent incident involving Andrew Frame when another group of boys came up to him and were threatening and jostling with him. Mr Laide told him he got involved with this group also and punched one boy in the face.

Mr McGinty said he noticed a cut on the back of one of Mr Laide's hands but he was told that he had injured it in the second incident after Brian Murphy had been knocked unconscious.

Andrew Frame (aged 22), from Nutley Lane, Donnybrook, Sean Mackey (aged 23), from South Park, Foxrock, Desmond Ryan (aged 22), from Cunningham Road, Dalkey, all Co Dublin, and Dermot Laide (aged 22), from Rossvale, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan have pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of 18-year-old Mr Murphy at Sussex Road on August 31, 2000.

The four former Blackrock College students have also denied committing violent disorder by using or threatening to use unlawful violence on the same date.

Mr McGinty told Mr John Edwards SC, for Laide, in cross-examination, that his client had boarded at Blackrock College for all of his second level education. He had a good record and had always been a very pleasant young man who played rugby on the schools senior cup team.

Mr McGinty told Mr Anthony Sammon SC, for Mackey, in cross-examination, that he did not know what happened to the two accounts after they had been written and denied that he asked them to be written to protect the good image of the school.

Former Blackrock College student, Odran Rochford told the court that when he emerged from the Burlington Hotel he saw a group of about six or seven involved in a scuffle. He said Mr Laide and Mr Frame were among this group.

When he walked closer all he saw was Brian Murphy lying unconscious on the ground and he was then helped across the road by some of his friends.

Ms Beverley Ensor and Ms Mary Kate Finn said they both walked towards Donnybrook with Andrew Frame, Dermot Laide, Odran Rochford and Alan Dalton to try and get a taxi after the incident involving Brian Murphy. When they got to Sach's Hotel a taxi pulled up containing two of Mr Murphy's friends, Matthew Britten and Morgan Crean.

They said the men were abusive when the car stopped but the taxi driver agreed to take the two girls. They got into the taxi and Mr Britten and Mr Crean were let out at St Vincent's Hospital. The car then returned and picked up the four men that were left behind.

Earlier, Mr John Paul Lynch said he had seen a group kicking Brian Murphy when he was on the ground but he couldn't identify anyone involved.

He just remembered hearing one of the group say "we f***** him up good" or "we sure f***** him up" as they were running off.

The trial continues before Judge Michael White and a jury of eight men and four women.