Gardaí 'put words into witnesses mouths', murder trial hears

Two prosecution witnesses accused gardaí of “putting words in their mouths” after their statements implicating two Dublin men accused of murdering a 65-year-old woman were read out at the Central Criminal Court today.

Conor Grogan (aged 26), of Avonbeg Park, Tallaght, Dublin, and Timothy Rattigan (aged 26), of St Dominick’s Terrace, Tallaght, Dublin, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mrs Joan Casey (aged 65) at Avonbeg Park on April 3, 2004.

Mr Dylan Johnson, a friend of the accused Grogan, had been arrested for having information regarding the firearms used in this incident.

Mr Johnson told gardaí in his statement that he got a phone call from Conor Grogan in the early hours of April 3rd but ignored it “because they had been on the piss”.

Prosecuting counsel, Mr Edward Comyn SC, read out parts of Mr Johnson’s statements to the court.

“I was sleeping and I woke up at 5 with the light on and Timmy and Conor were in the room,” Mr Comyn read. “Do you remember that?” he asked Mr Johnson.

“Yeah, but I was pressurised into it,” he replied.

Around 6.40am, Mr Johnson received another call from Grogan. “I just told him to f--- off and I turned back around to sleep,” he said in his statement.

Mr Johnson later said he “wasn’t sure” if the two accused were in his room early that morning.

“I’m not sure, they (gardaí) put words into my mouth,” he said.

“It must be embarrassing for you to give evidence concerning this case, is that right?” Mr Comyn asked.

“Yeah,” Mr Johnson replied.

Mr Justice Paul Carney told the jury Dylan Johnson was a hostile witness, which allowed prosecution to question the witness in a different manner.

The court also heard from Mr Stephen Johnson, a friend of the accused Grogan.

Grogan invited Stephen on that Friday night at 1.30am to join him, the co-accused Rattigan and Tina Stevens, Rattigan’s sister, for a few drinks at a friend’s house.

“We were slagging our friends, having a joke, a laugh,” Stephen Johnson said.

He added that he “couldn’t remember” what else Timmy Rattigan would have said that night.

“I smoked too much hash and it was a year and a half ago,” he said.

Mr Comyn read part of Stephen Johnson’s statements to gardaí.

“He (Rattigan) was calling him a scumbag. He said his brother-in-law’s name was Gerard Casey,” Mr Comyn read.

“That’s not true,” Stephen Johnson replied.

“Is it true that his brother-in-law is Gerard Casey?”

“Yes,” he replied.

Stephen Johnson denied that Conor Grogan phoned him around 6am, telling him “he’d be back in a few minutes”.

He admitted that was in his statement but “it wasn’t true”.

He agreed with Mr Comyn that they were “all in the same room ringing each other”.

Stephen Johnson also denied telling gardaí that he thought Timmy Rattigan was with him (Conor).

He further denied saying that Conor came back to the living room and “looked shocked”.

“I meant to say he was getting sick,” Stephen Johnson said.

Mr Comyn asked the witness when did he realised that a “considerable portion” of his statement was not true?

“When I was saying it,” Stephen Johnson replied.

He described feeling under pressure when being questioned by gardaí.

“I felt so nervous, it was a horrible thing. I felt under so much pressure, it’s not nice at all,” he said.

Stephen Johnson denied that anyone had threatened him in relation to this case.

“They (gardaí) put words into my mouth, that’s what I’m saying,” he said.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Carney and the jury of six men and six women next Tuesday.