Teenager (19) who claims men abducted him feared for his life

A TEENAGER yesterday told a court how he feared for his life after he was abducted and bundled into the boot of a car by four men less than an hour before his two best friends were killed in a car crash involving the same vehicle.

Darren Linehan (19) told Cork Cork Circuit Criminal Court that he was drinking with his two friends, CJ Dolan (16) and Derry O’Callaghan (19), and others, in Hollywood Estate in Cork on the night of May 13th last when a black VW Polo came into the estate.

Mr Linehan told the court he and his friends, along with John Heaphy and James Simms, ran away, but that he tripped. The men got out of the Polo, came over and kicked and punched him before dragging him to the car.

“They started dancing all over me – I was trying to protect myself – I saw their faces,” said Mr Linehan.

He identified his attackers as Philip Murphy (40), Killala Gardens, Knocknaheeny, Thomas Murphy (42), Spriggs Road, Gurranebraher, Shane Ahern (21), formerly Willow Bank, Fairhill, and James Quilligan (23) from St Martin’s Park, Tralee.

They all deny falsely imprisoning Mr Linehan at the estate.

Philip Murphy also denies dangerous driving causing the deaths of CJ Dolan and Derry O’Callaghan at Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny, and driving under the influence of cannabis on the same night.

Mr Simms, Adelaide Terrace, Cork, denies a charge of dangerous driving causing the deaths of the two teenagers, who were back-seat passengers in his car.

John Heaphy (24) from Oak Drive, Classis Lake, Ballincollig, denies a separate charge of threatening to cause criminal damage.

Mr Linehan said yesterday he was in the boot for 10-15 minutes and feared he was going to be killed. He said he was driven to Curraghkippane cemetery , where he says the four men kicked and hit him again, and then left.

He walked back to the estate, where he found two cars had crashed into a house. He discovered his friends, CJ Dolan and Derry O’Callaghan, had been seriously injured in the back of one of the cars, a Ford Mondeo, and he recognised the other car as the black VW Polo in which he claims he was abducted.

Cross-examined by Pádraig O’Dwyer SC, for Philip Murphy, Mr Linehan admitted he originally told gardaí in his statement that Thomas Murphy’s daughter, Hayley Murphy, was in the Polo when it came into Hollywood, but he accepted that she was not there.

The case continues.