A man who was charged with double murder has told the Central Criminal Court the charges were dropped without explanation last Monday.
The court yesterday lifted a gagging order preventing the media from mentioning the murder charges, or that that they were withdrawn, after the accused man informed the jury himself, despite advice to the contrary from trial judge Mr Justice McKechnie.
Mr Mark Desmond, who is standing trial for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life, alleged that the chief prosecution witness, Ms Rachel Stephens, falsely implicated him in the murders of Darren Carey and Patrick Murray. The bodies of the victims, aged 19 and 20, were recovered from the Grand Canal, near Karneystown, Co Kildare, in January 2000.
The jury heard that Ms Stephens, who is now in the Witness Protection Programme, subsequently retracted her statement implicating the accused man in the murders.
Mr Desmond, who is defending himself, claimed her statement contained a number of serious inaccuracies. He said Ms Stephens had alleged that Mr Murray and Mr Carey were put into his Punto car, from which their bodies were dumped, when in fact that car had been "off the road" before the murders.
He further claimed that Ms Stephens, a former heroin addict, was pressurised into making statements in February 2000.
In evidence, Det Insp Pádraig Kennedy told the court he did not know why the charges were dropped as that was a matter for the DPP. He also denied that Ms Stephens was under any pressure from gardaí.
Cross-examined by Mr Desmond, he said he did not know when Ms Stephens entered the Witness Protection Programme.
The accused man told the jury he was being "stitched up" on "trumped-up" firearms charges and had spent 2½ years in custody.
Mr Justice McKechnie said Mr Desmond had been given "enormous leeway". He had warned him against raising the murder charges before the jury.
Mr Desmond has pleaded not guilty to the unlawful possession of three shotguns and one rifle. The trial continues today.