Man shot dead in front of girlfriend and two children, court hears

A murder trial has heard today that a man was shot in the neck while walking with his girlfriend and two children.

Keith Wilson (aged 23), of Cremona Road, Ballyfermot has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Daniel Gaynor at St Helena’s Road in Finglas on August 14, 2010.

He has also pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

In his opening speech, Mr Alex Owens SC for the state told the jury “it is the prosecution’s case that Mr Wilson killed Mr Gaynor by shooting a gun into his neck”.

He said the incident happened between 6.30pm and 6.45pm in the evening when Mr Gaynor was walking towards Tolka Valley Park with his girlfriend and two children.

Mr Owens said an assailant, wearing white magician’s gloves, discharged three shots, one of which went into Mr Gaynor’s neck killing him and that he died at the location where he was shot.

He said a man was seen running across an open area and a gun was found discarded nearby at Gortmore Road.

Mr Owens said three bullets were fired from that gun and a number of items were also found discarded including a white glove, a hat and a hoody.

He told the court there would be forensic evidence for the gun, glove, hat and hoody and that the prosecution’s case will be in relation to those items.

Mr Owens said it was the prosecution’s case that Mr Wilson is the gunman and that Mr Wilson’s DNA profile matches the DNA profile on these four items.

Garda Peter O’ Connor told Mr Owens he examined a Sturm Ruger gun which had three empty cases and two full bullets.

He said he also found a white glove, a black Street Magic baseball cap and he retrieved a McKenzie hoody from a hedge at Gortmore Road.

The trial continues on Tuesday before a jury of seven men and five women, presided over by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and is expected to last six or seven days.