McDonagh denies presence on halting site

The man accused of trying to kill three members of a Traveller family by firing a sawn off shotgun at them says he was never in their halting site the day Garda allege the shooting happened, a court has heard.

Martin McDonagh (aged 31) and Patrick McDonagh (aged 42) of Dunsink Lane, Finglas Dublin have both pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Robert Gavin, John Gavin and Patrick Gavin at St Dominic’s Park, Belcamp Lane, Coolock on New Year’s Day 2005.

The pair have also pleaded not guilty to possession of a sawn off shotgun and intentionally or recklessly causing harm to Robert Gavin on the same day.

A jury in the Central Criminal Court heard last week the McDonagh and Gavin families had been feuding over a damaged caravan.

The prosecution allege the McDonaghs drove into the Coolock halting site and opened fire on a group of Gavins.

The trial before Mr Justice Paul Carney resumed today, prosecuting counsel Mr Niall Durnin SC reading Martin McDonagh’s statement to the court.

In it, McDonagh says he had spent New Year’s Day drinking at a cousin’s home.

"I was no-where near Coolock that day," McDonagh told Gardaí in the statement taken on January 5, 2005.

Last week the court heard statements from Patrick McDonagh, who said he had gone to the site on New Year’s Day to broker a peace deal between the families.

He said in his statements to Gardaí, read to the court, he had left the site and was in the pub when the shooting happened.

The trial before Mr Justice Carney and the jury of nine men and three women continues this week.