Accused submits additional evidence in murder trial

One of two men accused of murdering a 65-year-old grandmother made additions to part of his statement with gardaí, in which he said that a shotgun he "may have seen before" was not the one shown to him, at the Central Criminal Court heard 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 64) at Avonbeg Park on April 3, 2004.

Mr Anthony Sammon SC, for Rattigan, cross-examined Detective Garda Michael Cuffe, who had interviewed the accused, Rattigan, on April 20th at Tallaght Garda Station.

Det Gd Cuffe said he could not remember whether the shotgun shown to the accused during the interview was broken or assembled at the time.

The court had heard that Rattigan was asked how his fingermark got on the shotgun, to which the accused replied: "I don’t know."

Mr Sammon read to the court Rattigan’s reply after he said "I don’t know".

"I may have seen it (the shotgun) before. It wasn’t that one. It may have been similar or smaller," Rattigan said.

The court heard there were two of the accused’s initials in the interview notes, indicating that the accused had made additions to his answers after the statement was read out to him by Det Gd Cuffe.

"It would have been corrected after I interviewed him," Det Gd Cuffe said.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of six men and six women.