Witness testifies against murder accused

A key witness in a Limerick murder trial has told the Central Criminal Court that he saw his then 19-year-old friend shoot dead a young carpenter in 2009.

Christopher Mulqueen told the jury in Kenneth Collopy's murder trial that he was in a Toyota Corolla with the accused man on the evening of December 8, 2009, and that the “car was used in a murder”.

He said Collopy fired about 16 or 17 shots from a Glock handgun and shot Daniel Fitzgerald.

Collopy, who is now aged 20, with an address at Kilonan, Ballysimon, Limerick, has denied murdering Mr Fitzgerald.

The 25-year-old had just left his uncle's house after paying his family a visit, when he was shot in the head and leg.

The bullet went straight through his head inflicting a traumatic brain injury while the gunshot wound to his leg caused him to haemorrhage internally.

Mr Fitzgerald's uncle, Paul Fitzgerald, has also given evidence in the case and said that Daniel was shot within two seconds of leaving the mobile home his family was temporarily staying in at the time.

Their caravan was then sprayed with a number of bullets, before he heard a car screeching away.

He ran outside to find Daniel slumped on the ground in a pool of blood.

In his evidence to the court today, Mr Mulqueen said he was in the back seat of a Toyota Corolla when Kenneth Collopy drove it into the Fitzgerald's yard.

“What happened to the car?” Ms Mary-Ellen Ring, senior prosecuting counsel asked the witness.

“The car was used in a murder...Daniel Fitzgerald got shot,” Mr Mulqueen replied. He said he had been lying down in the back of the car when he saw Collopy shoot him, and that he discharged 16 or 17 bullets.

They drove back to Collopy's house, where Mr Mulqueen said they both changed their clothes and “Kenneth burnt them”.

The court has heard that Collopy was arrested later that night at his home. During follow-up searches of property near the house, Gardaí recovered a Glock semi-automatic handgun.

They also found a green Toyota Corolla and remnants of burnt clothing.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White.