Special protection for the main witness leads to objections

The jury of seven men and five women at Cloverhill courthouse since Wednesday have all the appearances of an alert, hard- working crew. By now they will have learned the value of patience.

In one 10-minute period yesterday, there were 12 objections. The jury was sent out four times. The total time the jury sat: about two hours and 20 minutes. On Thursday, the entire morning was spent in legal argument in its absence. In the afternoon, the jurors were sent out twice. Total time the jury sat: under two hours.

On Wednesday, the jurors were no sooner in at about 11.10 a.m. than they were sent out again, before reappearing at 12.30 p.m. Total time they sat: about one hour and 20 minutes.

Yesterday began with a defence objection to the configuration of the courtroom.

The occupants of the new jury box were asked if they had a clear view of the State's main witness in the witness box. They hadn't.

So the witness, Owen Treacy, was repositioned to the right of the court, beside the jury but with his back to the barristers, upon which one declared that he was "not prepared to examine the back of the witness's head".

Meanwhile, Treacy's two minders, lanky square-jawed gardaí from the "special protection unit", armed with conspicuous ear-pieces and what one defence counsel objected to as "some kind of padding" in their jackets, were sticking close to their charge, taking up position on either side of the jury box.

This was deemed by defence counsel to be "so prejudicial as to be beyond belief".

Challenged as to who they were and what their ear-pieces were for, one identified his unit and stated firmly that "my responsibility is the protection of the witness". The ear-piece, he said, "is a communication matter between me and my colleague, should any matter arise".

Finally, a carpenter was drafted in to install a higher chair in the witness box. Treacy's minders remained close.

They were not the only evidence of increased security yesterday. Reporters were scattered from the previously reserved second row directly behind the five accused to make room for four prison officers spread across eight seats.

The five were also flanked by two officers on either side, in addition to a minimum of three gardaí close by at all times.

The public benches have also begun to fill with family and friends. Jokes, comments and gestures were exchanged while they were being led in and out.

But Treacy was at centre stage yesterday. The 31-year-old bread man, father of two and nephew of the murdered man Kieran Keane, gave his evidence in a strong, determined manner, telling defence counsel Blaise O'Carroll that "my life has ended since the 29th of January".

He pointed firmly at each of the accused as he described their alleged roles in the events of January 29th, always referring to David Stanners as David "Frog's Eye" Stanners, to the audible resentment of some in the public benches.

Some of the defendants, he said, he had known all his life; "Smokie" Costelloe's father, for example, had plastered the front of his house.

The trial resumes on Tuesday.