Court sees footage around time of alleged Mountjoy murder

The jury in the trial of a 28-year-old man accused of committing murder in Mountjoy Prison has been shown video footage of the alleged incident.

Declan O’Reilly (aged 28), of Parnell Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin to murdering Derek Glennon on June 25, 2007.

In opening the case for the prosecution, Anthony Sammon SC (with Patrick McGrath BL), told the jury of six men and six women that evidence in the case would be “quite succinct” and would consist largely of visual images taken from the prison’s security video system.

Mr Sammon said the images would be “clear and of good quality”.

Chief Officer John Farrell of Mountjoy Prison told the court that he was standing in the “circle area” of the prison and was observing matters in D wing at around 5.30pm when the cells had been unlocked to allow for prisoners’ recreation.

He said he saw “what appeared to be horseplay between two prisoners” and he walked towards the men.

He then paused in his evidence to allow colour video footage from four cameras situated on D wing to be played to the court.

Chief Officer Farrell identified both the accused man and Mr Glennon on the footage.

He said that, after he noticed what he described as “horseplay”, the incident “seemed to intensify into a fully fledged fist fight between Declan O’Reilly and Derek Glennon”.

He called out to his colleagues and made his way towards the men where he then became involved in the incident.

Earlier, during the opening speech, Mr Sammon told the jury that any past wrong doing of an accused person would not normally be referred to during a trial but the fact that the accused was a prisoner at the time of the alleged incident had to be revealed in this case by necessity.

Mr Sammon warned the jury to be careful not to read anything into that fact that would be adverse to the accused.

The trial continues.