Defence accuses State witness in Rostas murder trial of master class in perjury

The lawyer for the Dublin man charged with murdering teenager Marioara Rostas has said the jury got a "master class in perjury" from the State's main witness. Michael O'Higgins SC was giving his closing speech at the the Central Criminal Court yesterday in the trial of the man charged with the Dublin murder.

Alan Wilson (35), New Street Gardens, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Ms Rostas (18) at a house on Brabazon Street, The Coombe, on January 7th or January 8th, 2008.

The trial has heard that the Romanian teenager had been begging with her brother in Dublin on January 6th. Her brother saw her get into a car at about 2pm; the car was driven off and her family never saw her again. Her body was found buried in a shallow grave in the Dublin mountains four years later. She had died of four bullet wounds to her head.

Mr Wilson and his friend, Fergus O’Hanlon, were arrested in October 2008 and questioned about the murder but no progress was made in the investigation until late 2011. O’Hanlon, a convicted criminal, then told gardaí that he could help locate the body and give information about the crime.

O’Hanlon, who has immunity from prosecution, has since told the trial that he arrived home on January 8th to find a woman dead in his house and Mr Wilson with a gun in his hand. He said he felt sick but helped his friend bury her body and later cleaned up the scene.

Mr O’Higgins said O’Hanlon had come forward with information only when being questioned about another crime. He did not just walk into a Garda station in late 2011 and tell detectives that he wished to help in a murder investigation.

“He was being interviewed by the guards, suspected of conspiracy to murder a journalist. Then he asked to speak to the guards off camera.” He reminded the jury that O’Hanlon asked: “Will you do a deal in front of my solicitor?”

“He showed a strong willingness to trade,” he said. “Was he involved in this offence by murdering her or by being more involved than he has let on?”

Mr O’Higgins said O’Hanlon had benefited from giving his statement and continued to benefit significantly through his participation in the witness protection programme. He said he had a very unhealthy attitude to women, reminding the jury of some violent episodes. “He is a domineering, controlling, bullying person.” He was a very volatile person, who was uncontainable if he did not get his own way. He described as “complete and utter rubbish”

O’Hanlon’s assertion that he had refused to take part in a formal identification parade because he was in fear of Mr Wilson. “This fellow is afraid of nobody or nothing,” he said, noting that Mr Wilson had wanted to go on a formal identification parade but was not asked.

Mr O’Higgins said O’Hanlon had lied to gardaí and had continued to lie when he entered the witness box. “You got a master class in perjury,” he said.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy has now begun charging the jurors ahead of their deliberations, which are expected to begin later today.