Dublin murder trial hears evidence from eyewitnesses

Several eye-witnesses have told the trial of a Dublin man accused of murdering one of his best friends, that they saw their neighbour Dara McCormack on the ground of their Blanchardstown estate, with two men in balaclavas standing over him.

The witnesses described hearing a loud bang at around 9pm on Saturday evening, February 11, 2006 and looking outside to see the 22-year-old lying on his back, trying to defend himself by kicking at the men.

They told the jury how Mr McCormack pleaded "please don't" as one man stood at his head and the other at his feet. By the time the witnesses came outside, the two men had run away, and Mr McCormack was bleeding on the ground.

One of the witnesses, George Hynes, described the men as being around 5 foot 10 inches in height, dressed all in dark clothes and wearing balaclavas.

He ran outside to hear Mr McCormack say "Get my da, I've been shot."

Tara Power described how she heard arguing outside her house, and looked out the window to see the two men, and Mr McCormack on the ground with his legs raised.

As she opened her window to tell the two to leave him alone, she saw a long object that she thought was a bicycle pump, protruding from one of the men's sleeves, and heard a loud bang.

She ran outside and brought a pillow to put under Mr McCormack's head as they waited for emergency services to arrive. She said he asked for his dad and she shouted at a boy on his bike to get Mr McCormack's father.

Thomas McCormack has told the court in his evidence how he was watching television at home, when a young neighbour on a bike came to the door and told him his son had been shot.

He followed him to find Dara on the ground injured and bleeding, with a group of neighbours gathered around. Mr McCormack fought back tears as he told the jury how he took his son in his arms and asked "who shot you?"

He said Dara replied "Aidan, AIdan da." Mr McCormack asked if he meant Aidan Finnegan, and said his son said "yes da, Aidan."

Thirty-year-old Aidan Finnegan, of Whitestown Avenue, Hartstown, Blanchardstown, is on trial at the Central Criminal Court and is pleading not guilty to murder.

Mr McCormack also told the court how he was initially told that Dara had only suffered superficial injuries and would be fine, when they arrived at Connolly Memorial Hospital.

Minutes later however he was called to say his son had passed away after suffering blood loss and multiple organ damage due to the gunshot wound.

Finnegan's defence counsel, Mr Patrick Marrinan SC, put it to Mr McCormack that he bore animosity towards his client, because of an incident a few years prior to the killing during which Finnegan had punched him.

Mr McCormack denied this and said he had no recollection of the incident.

The case resumes tomorrow before the jury of five men and seven women.