Murder accused apologises for 'hardship' caused to family of victim

A 27-year-old accused of murdering a man in Co Wicklow three years ago apologised for the “hardship” he caused the deceased’s family, a court has heard.

Michael Dickenson, of no fixed abode and formerly of Darragh Park, Wicklow town has pleaded not guilty to murdering Steven O'Meara at Ballydonnell Wood, Red Cross, Co. Wicklow on or about August 6, 2009.

Mr O'Meara, a 26-year-old father-of-three from Rosehill in Wicklow town, was last seen on August 6, 2009 and his body was found by gardaí in a shallow grave in the woods five months later, on Christmas Eve.

Today Detective Sergeant Fergus O’ Brien told the court Mr Dickenson was arrested at Bachelor’s Walk in Wicklow town on Sunday December 27, 2009.

Det Sgt O’ Brien told Mr Denis Vaughan-Buckley SC prosecuting that when charged the accused replied: “I am sorry for all the hardship I’ve caused Steven’s family”.

For a number of days the jury has been watching videos and listening to memos of garda interviews with the accused during the course of his detention.

The court has previously heard evidence Mr O’Meara was asked to collect a debt of €15,000 from the accused’s brother, which was owed to drug dealers in Dublin and that he was to be paid €2,000 for doing so.

The court has also already heard that the accused drove up the woods with two men who he said had been paid by another person to kill Mr O’ Meara.

“I witnessed this man killing Steven O’ Meara…He made me cover him over”, the accused told gardaí.

He said he “couldn’t name names” and that he wanted to be put into the witness protection programme.

Mr Dickenson indicated locations to gardaí on a sketch map of Ballydonnell Woods of where Mr O'Meara had been shot by another man and where the grave was.

He later went out to the woods with gardaí where he had gone with two other men and said one of the men had gone into the trees with Mr O’ Meara.

When asked by gardaí why Mr O’ Meara did not run from these men he said he “showed no fear” and believed he was collecting a drug debt.

“Steven O’ Meara showed no fear, he’d b***s of steel. I’d have s**t myself”, the accused told gardaí.

“He was just expecting to collect the €15,000”, he added.

He said that a trench and a shovel were already at the location and that “it was all set up when he got there.”

The accused said when he skipped the country he was not aware the gardaí were looking for him and said he thought about killing himself.

“You’ll never understand what I’ve been through in the past five months”, the accused told gardaí.

When asked by gardaí if he felt guilty the accused replied: “I honestly don’t know what I feel”.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy.