One of four men accused of having three pistols outside Mitchelstown last year told gardaí that they were on a "punishment beating or shooting of some kind" when they were arrested, the Special Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Det Sgt Michael Lewis said that Kieran Kiely started crying when he was asked during an interview who he was afraid of. The witness said that he asked Kiely if he would like to tell the gardaí more about the "job", and he replied: "No, I can't. You know that." He then asked Kiely: "Was it a punishment beating or shooting of some kind?" Kiely replied: "Yeah." When asked who was to be "dealt with", Kiely replied: "I don't know."
Before the court are Seán Kind (41), St Joseph's Terrace, Rockenham, Passage West, Co Cork; Walter Nagle (24), Avoncore Estate, Midleton, Co Cork; Michael Nugent (27), Meadow Park Lawn, Ballyvolane, Cork; and Kieran Kiely (26), Mill Road, Youghal, Co Cork.
All four men have pleaded not guilty to having three pistols and 18 rounds of ammunition without a firearms certificate and to having the pistols and ammunition for an unlawful purpose at Cahir Hill, Ballinwillin, Mitchelstown, Co Cork, on January 29th last year.
Det Sgt Lewis said that he and Det Garda James Fitzpatrick interviewed Kiely on January 31st last year. When asked if knew he was travelling in a stolen car with false number plates, Kiely said: "No." When asked which person was in charge of the group, Kiely replied: "You know that, the big man." Kiely made no reply when asked in whose house they had met and said "Yeah" when asked this was because he was afraid of someone.
When asked where the boilersuits, balaclavas and gloves found in the car had come from, Kiely replied: "I don't know, we just got them." He answered "Yeah" when asked if he had been told about the job and replied "Coming down in the car" when asked when.
Kiely said "Yeah" when asked if this was the first "job" of this type which he had been on and he replied "No" when asked if had ever been paid by "the organisation". He replied "Sort out some fella" when asked what he was going to do in Mitchelstown.
When asked what was going to happen to the car, Kiely said: "I don't know, maybe burn it." When asked to tell the gardaí more about the "job" or operation, Kiely replied: "You know I can't talk about this. You know that well."
The trial continues today.