MR Brendan O'Donnell told a garda that Father Joseph Walsh was dead before the priest's body was found in a wood in Co Clare, and then said he knew nothing about the priest, the Central, Criminal Court was told yesterday.
Det Garda Brendan Bradley said Mr O'Donnell had told him during an interview at Loughrea Garda station on the afternoon of May 7th, 1994, that Father Walsh was dead and he was at the scene where the priest was buried "three feet down Mr O'Donnell said he was there when "they" shot the priest, the witness said. Mr O'Donnell had said it was "an awful thing to see blood pouring from a man's neck", Del Garda Bradley said. He had added "I don't know why they killed him."
Asked where the priest was buried, the witness said Mr O'Donnell replied that he could not say because "they'll link me to the killing".
Mr O'Donnell had also asked if ballistics would show he was linked to the gun and had added "If it does, I'm fucked", Del Garda Bradley said.
The witness said he had asked Mr O'Donnell about Ms Imelda Riney and her son Liam (3) who were still missing. He said Mr O'Donnell had said "they" would never harm a child.
Later Mr O'Donnell, when asked if he had told the garda that Father Walsh was dead, hand said he "knew nothing about Father Walsh" and added "You must be raving", the witness said.
Del Garda Bradley denied he had concocted notes of interviews he had had with Mr O'Donnell.
He was giving evidence on the 26th day of the trial of Mr Brendan O'Donnell (21), a native of Co Clare, but of no fixed abode, who has denied the murder of three people in the west of Ireland in 1994 and nine other charges.
He has denied the murder of Ms Imelda Riney (29) and her son Liam (3) between April 28th and May 8th, 1994. He also denied the murder of Father Joseph Walsh (37), the former curate of Eyrecourt, Co Galway, between May 3rd and May 8th, 1994, and the false imprisonment of Father Walsh.
Mr O'Donnell has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping Ms Fiona Sampson and Mr Edward Cleary on May 7th, 1994, and to hijacking vehicles driven by both persons. He has also denied having a shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life and for unlawful purposes on the same date.
In court yesterday Mr Tom O'Connell BL, for the defence, continued his cross examination of Det Garda James Hanley who had given evidence to the court on Friday about interviews he had had with Mr O'Donnell on May 7th and May 8th, 1994. He put to Det Garda Hanley that Mr O'Donnell had not said he "shot them all" or made several other comments in an interview with gardai on May 8th, 1994.
Det Garda Hanley disagreed and said Mr O'Donnell had said all the matters attributed to him in the statement. He agreed Mr O'Donnell had been questioned throughout May 7th and had not had any sleep until about 5 a.m. on the morning of May 8th 1994 and was then questioned again from about 9.15 a.m. that morning.
He said gardai wanted to establish the whereabouts of Imelda and Liam Riney and feared for their lives and had decided to extend the questioning beyond midnight
He agreed Mr O'Donnell had declined to sign the notes of the various interviews with gardai and had put his name only to the top of a statement he had allegedly made.
He agreed Mr O'Donnell had not put his name to the statement in which he allegedly said "I shot them all ... I shot them through the heads for a fast end."
Del Garda Hanley said Mr O'Donnell did say all the things which the Garda notes recorded him saying.
The trial continues today before Mr Justice Lavan and a jury.