Cavan murder accused denies trying to flee country

A Cavan man accused of murder told gardaí he would have caused ‘’chaos’’ if he went to the deceased’s funeral, the Central Criminal Court heard today.

Trevor McCabe (aged 35), Mountpleasant, Ballyconnell, Co Cavan has pleaded not guilty to murdering Darren McGrath (aged 33), in Belturbet, Co Cavan on May 20, 2008.

It is the prosecution’s case that Mr McCabe shot Mr McGrath twice in the head as he slept.

Mr McCabe told gardai in interviews that he had been friends with the deceased.

When asked by Det Sgt John Colgan why he did not attend Darren McGrath’s funeral if they had been friends the accused replied; "There would be chaos."

He said: "Would you go to the funeral of a person you were rumoured to have murdered?"

The court heard Mr McCabe had last seen the deceased at a motorcycle rally in Portrush, Co. Antrim, the weekend before the shooting.

He told gardai he had spent the evening of Friday May 16, 2008 drinking with the deceased and a number of other people.

He said;: "The drinking went on all night. That is the last time I saw Darren, there was no hard feelings between us."

He told gardai he had an alibi for the morning of the shooting but did not want to give the names of the people he was with.

"They’re criminals and they might not appreciate me coming in here and giving names. I don’t want what happened to Darren McGrath to happen to me."

The court had previously heard that the deceased’s partner Nicole Lennon, who was in bed with Darren McGrath at the time he was shot, had positively identified the accused as the shooter.

When questioned about this by gardai Mr McCabe replied: "This person who is supposed to have seen me has told lies about me before."

Mr McCabe said he knew Darren McGrath had an unlicensed shotgun which he kept in ‘’some field’’.

He said the deceased had "bought it of young thugs around the town" a year and a half before the alleged murder.

The court heard when the accused was arrested he was in possession of a passport, money and a white van not registered in his name.

During interviews with gardai Mr McCabe denied he was "doing a runner".

He said: "If I was trying to leave the country I would know of ways of doing it, running to the boat is not what I was trying to do."

Det Gda Andy Manning, of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, was one of the officers who arrested the accused in Dublin on May 27, 2008.

He told prosecuting counsel he searched the accused and found him to be in possession of an Irish passport in another man’s name.

During cross-examination, Peter Finlay SC said the man in the passport looked considerably younger than the accused.

Det Gda Manning replied: "He looks similar to the defendant."

The trial resumes tomorrow before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of eight women and four men.