Former FF councillor denies wanting to 'lash out' after confrontation with reporter
A former Fianna Fáil councillor has today denied he made blackmail allegations because he wanted to “lash out” after been confronted by a reporter with pictures of him allegedly taking cocaine.
During his third day of cross-examination, ex-Dublin City Councillor Liam Kelly, rejected claims that he was “taking out his anger” on the accused, Wesley Higgins, because the Sunday World were going to print pictures of him appearing to take the drug.
Mr Higgins (aged 33) is accused of attempting to extort €5,000 from Mr Kelly by threatening to give such pictures to a newspaper.
Mr Higgins of Dundaniel Road, Kilmore, Coolock has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to demanding money with menaces between August 6 and 12, 2006.
Defence counsel, Mr Keith Spencer BL, put it to Kelly that when Sunday World reporter Eugene Masterson confronted him in the street with pictures allegedly showing him taking cocaine, he “took it out” on Mr Higgins.
“When confronted with these pictures you thought: ‘Oh dear’ and you lashed out, and the only person you could have recourse to is Mr Higgins”, Mr Spencer said.
“I did not lash out, I made a report to gardaí,” Mr Kelly replied.
Counsel also put it to Mr Kelly that phone records show the accused would not have had time to blackmail him about the pictures. Mr Kelly’s evidence was that the claims of having pictures showing cocaine use were not made by the accused until the following Wednesday.
However counsel said there were just two phone calls from Mr Higgins on that day, one lasting six seconds and one lasting ten seconds. Counsel said this would not have been enough time to make an extortion threat.
Mr Kelly replied that the extortion attempt could have come from a “build up” of messages and phone calls over the previous few days.
He accepted there are inconsistencies in his timings of events but not in the “substance” of his evidence.
Mr Kelly’s cross-examination has finished and the trial continues before Judge Desmond Hogan and a jury of six men and six women.
