Jury to decide which of accused pair fired gun

A jury hearing the trial of two men accused of attempting to murder members of a Traveller family must decide who drove the car into their halting site and who fired the shotgun, a court has heard.

Martin McDonagh, aged 31, and Patrick McDonagh, aged 42, of Dunsink Lane, Finglas, Dublin have 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.

In his closing speech to the jury of nine men and three women, in the Central Criminal Court, junior prosecuting counsel Sean Gillane BL said the issue for the jury to decide was ‘who’.

Crystal clear conclusions were: a car had driven into the Coolock site on New Year’s Day and Robert Gavin, John Gavin and Patrick Gavin were shot, he said.

"The real issue in this case isn’t what happened or when it happened or where, the real issue in this case is a question of who," Mr Gillane said.

He said the case boiled down to what the witnesses said.

Who was it that fired the shotgun and who was it that drove that car, he said.

The court heard the two families had been feuding over a damaged caravan.

The McDonaghs say they were not in Coolock Park when the shooting happened.

Mr Justice Paul Carney told the jury they would hear all closing speeches today, but would be sent out to deliberate tomorrow so they could vote in the General Election tomorrow morning.