Father took kids to McDonalds, duck pond a day before his death

A Central Criminal Court jury in the trial of two Dublin men accused of murdering a man heard that the dead man took his three children to McDonald's and a duck pond the day before his death.

Alan Keogh (aged 32), of Wellmount Green, Finglas and Gary McNevin (aged 31), of no fixed abode but with an address at Glenhill Road, Finglas, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Peter Mitchell (aged 32) of Monasterboice Road, Crumlin, at Monasterboice Road between and inclusive of October 17-20, 2003.

The court heard that Aisling Redmond had an “on-off” relationship for 11 years with the deceased, with whom she had three children, aged nine, five and three.

Ms Redmond told the jury Peter Mitchell saw his kids nearly every day and on weekends, “and he took them when I went on holidays”, she said.

Mr Mitchell got paid on a Thursday and shared his wages with Ms Redmond from his job at Dublin City Council. “He would give me a few bob every week, €150, he got paid around €300 a week,” she said.

The court heard the day before his death Mr Mitchell took his three kids to McDonald’s and a duck pond in the afternoon before bringing them back to Ms Redmond around 7.30pm. Mr Mitchell lived separately from his kids and Ms Redmond at the time.

She told the court that the family did not see him the week after she returned from holidays in Turkey, two weeks before his death. "I kept ringing him, but he wouldn't tell me where he was," Ms Redmond said.

Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, for McNevin, asked her: "When he was on the drink he drank heavily?"

“He was enjoying himself because he was stressed out from being with the kids for a week,” she replied.

She agreed with Mr MacEntee that she was "to some extent" reliant on what other people told her of her husband's whereabouts.

"He didn't tell me a lot anyway, a bit like a copper," Ms Redmond said. "He was a sensible guy, he knew what he was doing. But not all the time," she said.

The brother of Ms Redmond, Mr Robert Redmond, who was also a friend of the deceased, said: "Peter was always there for the kids no matter what. He'd drop around in the evenings to see them and brought them to McDonald's and the cinema every week," he said.

Under cross-examination by Ms Isobel Kennedy SC, for Keogh, Mr Redmond told the court that drink brought trouble to the relationship between Mr Mitchell and his sister.

"In fact, he was put out of the house of your sister because of drink?" Ms Kennedy asked. "Yes, once or twice," Mr Redmond said.

Neighbours of the deceased also gave evidence today. After 2am on the night of October 17, Ms Julie Flinter, who lived next door to the dead man, said she heard "noises next door, like banging and shouting".

"I had some concern," she said. "But I didn't want to be the type of neighbour to call the police and get people in trouble," she added.

Another neighbour, Ms Jacqueline Kelly, woke up to voices at 4.50am and saw "a fella and a girl and another fella on a crutch" leave the home of the deceased.

The court has heard that Peter Mitchell was found dead in his home with 16 stab wounds, sitting on his couch with his feet tied.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael Peart.