'With all that's going on with the police, I shot him,' man accused of murdering garda had said

Stephen Silver's defence will be raising the issues of bipolar disorder and the accused having diminished responsibility due to mental health difficulties

The prosecution told the jury of six men and six women that an issue which they may have to consider is whether Stephen Silver (pictured) was "ill-disposed towards gardaí". File picture: Michael McCormack/PA

Stephen Silver, who denies murdering Garda Colm Horkan but admits to his manslaughter, told gardaí that the deceased tried to attack him and added: "With all that's going on with the police in this world, I shot him," a prosecution barrister told the Central Criminal Court today.

Opening Mr Silver's trial, prosecution counsel James Dwyer SC said the accused man then mentioned Black Lives Matter, which the barrister suggested may have been a reference to the murder of George Floyd in America.