Two killed after car chase, trial told

TWO TEENAGERS were killed following a high-speed car chase in Cork city when the car in which they were travelling hit the gable wall of a house, a trial of six men was told yesterday.

The car had been rammed by another car before hitting the wall, the trial heard.

Tom O’Connell, prosecuting, said the State would produce evidence relating to the deaths of CJ Dolan (16) and Derry O’Callaghan (19) which would show their deaths were the culmination of a series of incidents stemming from a dispute between the Murphy and Heaphy families.

Philip Murphy (40) from Killala Gardens, Knocknaheeny, Cork denies dangerous driving causing the deaths of the two teenagers at Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny, on May 13th last, and denies driving under the influence of cannabis on the same occasion.

Mr Murphy, his brother Thomas Murphy (42), from Spriggs Road, Gurranebraher; James Quilligan (23), St Martin’s Park, Tralee, and Shane Ahern (21) formerly of Willow Bank, Fairhill, all deny falsely imprisoning Darren Linehan at Hollywood Estate, Blarney Road on the same date.

Another man, James Simms, from Adelaide Terrace, Cork, also denies a charge of dangerous driving causing the deaths of the two teenagers, who were back-seat passengers in his Mondeo car at the time of the collision.

A sixth accused, John Heaphy (24), Oak Drive, Classis Lake, Ballincollig, denies a separate charge of threatening to cause criminal damage by petrol-bombing the home of Thomas Murphy at Spriggs Road, Gurranebraher on the same occasion.

Opening the State’s case at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Mr O’Connell told the jury that each charge was separate and distinct and would have to be considered separately by them.

He went on to outline the sequence of events which, the State alleges, happened on the night in question.

Mr O’Connell said the State would hear evidence from Thomas Murphy’s daughter, Hayley Murphy, that a red Ford Mondeo driven by Mr Simms pulled up outside her family home on Spriggs Road that night, and that Mr Heaphy threatened to petrol bomb the house before the night was over.

The State would say Thomas Murphy contacted his brother, Philip Murphy, who came to Spriggs Road and, together with Mr Ahern and Mr Quilligan, the two Murphys drove to Hollywood Estate in Hollyhill, where they saw some of the Heaphys and their associates drinking outside a house.

The group included John Heaphy, CJ Dolan and Derry O’Callaghan, as well as another man, Darren Linehan, whom the Murphys and their associates kicked and punched before pushing him into the boot of their black VW Golf and driving to a nearby cemetery, where they left him after beating him again.

Mr O’Connell said gardaí were alerted and a patrol car was travelling along Harbour View Road when its occupants saw a red Ford Mondeo being pursued by a black Golf, with both cars doing about 120km/h.

Gardaí would say the cars were just 10 metres apart when the Mondeo went to make a sharp turn right, but the driver lost control and was rammed by the Golf before the Mondeo crashed into the gable wall of the house.

The Golf also smashed into the house.

The driver of the Golf, Philip Murphy, and his front-seat passenger, Mr Ahern, were caught trying to flee the scene.

The teenagers, both rear-seat passengers in the Mondeo, were seriously injured and rushed to hospital, but died later. The case continues.