Suspect kissed one of accused at victim's house, court hears

A woman, who was a suspect in the case, was kissing one of the accused at the victim’s house on the night of the murder, a jury in the trial of two Dublin men accused of murdering a man heard today at the Central Criminal Court.

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.

Under cross-examination by McNevin’s counsel, Mr Patrick MacEntee SC asked Ms Wendy Howard: "Did you kiss anyone in the house?"

"Yeah, Alan Keogh," she replied.

The court has heard that the two accused, the dead man and Ms Howard had met in a pub on the night, "got cans" and took a taxi to the victim’s home in Crumlin.

She said the kissing only went on "for a few minutes".

"Was he trying to get off with you?" Mr MacEntee asked. "No, it just happened for a minute," Ms Howard said.

She said a row began "about half an hour or an hour" after the kissing stopped, although she admitted it could have been as little as 15 minutes later.

Ms Howard, who was in the dead man’s sitting room with the three men, agreed with Mr MacEntee that she never saw Peter Mitchell "put his hands anywhere near McNevin".

"I didn’t see that happen. That’s what Gary said and then Alan said it. The two of them said it," Ms Howard told the court.

"You’re saying that the person who said it was Gary McNevin, who had been fast asleep at the time?" she was asked. "Yes."

Mr MacEntee read out part of a statement Ms Howard had given to gardaí during an interview after her arrest: "Alan said he (Mitchell) was going down his (McNevin) pockets, that’s why he (Keogh) got up and hit him. He didn’t know if he was looking for money or hash or whatever."

Ms Howard still insisted that "Gary said it first".

The court has heard that Ms Howard, a married mother-of-two, was arrested and considered a suspect in the case.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael Peart.