Prosecution witness denies involvement in 2009 Wicklow killing

The key prosecution witness in the murder trial of two men accused of shooting dead a French musician in Bray, has denied that he was involved in the killing and was even "directing" events.

Taking the witness stand for the third day at the Central Criminal Court today, Keith Lowe denied that he knew both of the accused men, and had met with them before the shooting at a cemetery to buy guns and ammunition.

Mr Lowe, a former heroin addict, told the jury he knew one of the accused men, James O'Connor, through buying heroin and had agreed to give him a lift as a favour on the evening of May 28, 2009.

The 29-year-old witness said when he collected O'Connor at his Bray home, another man whom he did not know also got into the car. He later picked out this man as the second man before the court, Declan Sheridan, during a Garda identification parade a number of days after the shooting.

Mr Lowe said the men told him to drive to Fassaroe Estate, where they left the car with an object wrapped in newspaper. Mr Lowe was told to stay in the car, and a few minutes later heard breaking glass and two loud bangs, which he knew were gunshots.

The men returned to the car panicking and agitated, and he noticed a gun on O'Connor's lap. They told him to drive to a nearby cemetery where Mr Lowe said they jumped over a wall, and O'Connor returned without his shoes or the gun.

Gardaí who were alerted to Fassaroe, found Charles Sinapayen slumped and bleeding on the ground in the bedroom where his girlfriend was sleeping. The 33-year-old street entertainer had been shot through the window, in the side of the face. He died two days later in hospital.

Detectives discovered two sawn-off shotguns and two spent shotgun cartridges partially buried in two graves in a local cemetery the following day.

O'Connor (aged 27), a father of three from Kilbridge Grove in Bray, and Sheridan (aged 25), of Sugarloaf View, Sea Road in Kilcoole, have both denied murder.

Under cross-examination by O'Connor's defence barrister, Mr Paul McDermott SC, Mr Lowe denied that he was "in cahoots" with Sheridan and bought drugs from his girlfriend's mother.

The witness said it was "absolutely not true" that he had met O'Connor and Sheridan in the cemetery on the evening of the shooting, looked at guns and ammunition with them, and handed over a €500 deposit for a weapon.

Mr Lowe also denied that it had been his suggestion to go to the cemetery following the shooting, and then on to a halting site where he said O'Connor was told he would be given an alibi if he needed one.

Mr McDermott put it to the witness that at this stage he was the one "directing events."

The witness admitted that a shotgun cartridge was found under the seat of his car, but said he had nothing to do with it. He also denied that he had deleted O'Connor's number and calls from his phone in an effort to get rid of evidence and distance himself from the shooting.

Mr Lowe also said it was untrue that his partner had moved out following the shooting because of his involvement in it.

He maintained throughout his cross-examination that he thought he was bringing the men to Fassaroe to collect money they were owed.

The trial resumes tomorrow before a jury of six men and six women.