Murder victim shot 'because he owed money'

A jury in a murder trial has heard that the deceased was shot once in the head in a busy Dublin pub in 2003 because he owed money for his protection.

Prosecutor Tom O’Connell SC was opening the State’s case to the Central Criminal Court today in the trial of Shay Wildes (aged 37).

Wildes of Corbally Park, Tallaght, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Declan Griffin (aged 32) from Coolock, Dublin, in the Horse and Jockey pub, on Emmett Road, Inchicore.

Mr O’Connell told the jury it would hear how the accused shot Mr Griffin in front of his right ear at 6pm on that Saturday, April 5, with a .38 inch calibre bullet.

The court was told that the motive was clouded in murkiness, but that it was ultimately money.

"Declan Griffin had a bit of history and found his life was threatened by a gang from Tallaght. Shay Wildes heard about his dilemma and arranged to meet him," explained Mr O’Connell.

The court heard that the two men met about three weeks before the killing to discuss how the accused might help Mr Griffin.

"Shay Wildes offered Declan Griffin security in exchange for money. Wildes was going to do this by removing the threat," added Mr O’Connell.

On the Friday before Mr Griffin’s death, the jury heard, Wildes met a go-between, Sandro Dambrosia, in a pub in Tallaght, where the accused claimed he had kidnapped the person, who was a threat to the deceased.

"He said it had required a crew of men to take out this person," said Mr O’Connell, adding that Wildes was now demanding half the agreed €15,000 fee as a deposit.

"Declan Griffin had reservations about handing the money over to Wildes and wanted to use Mr Dambrosia as a conduit. A meeting was set up for 6pm the following day in the Horse and Jockey," said the barrister.

The jury heard that the deceased borrowed money from his brother that day and was "obviously expecting some trouble" as he was wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with a .22 pistol and four rounds of ammunition when he arrived at the pub.

Counsel said the three men sat down and Mr Dambrosia heard a whispered conversation between the accused and Mr Griffin.

"Mr Dambrosia will tell you he saw Declan Griffin hand money to Wildes and Wildes put it in his pocket, and that he saw Mr Griffin pat his own chest and say something like ‘I’m loaded.’ He’ll tell you he didn’t actually see the moment of the shooting," said the prosecutor.

The jurors were told that Mr Dambrosia, whose evidence the prosecution described as central to the case, heard a very loud bang, saw a hole in Mr Griffin’s head and a handgun in Wilde's hand as he walked out the door.

Mr Griffin was pronounced dead at 1:35am the following morning, with a post mortem giving the cause of death as "laceration of the brain and inter-cranial haemorrhaging".

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Philip O’Sullivan and a jury of seven men and five women.