THE FATHER of a young construction worker, who was shot minutes after leaving home for a night out, has told the Central Criminal Court in Dublin that his son named one of his best friends as his attacker in his dying moments.
Thomas McCormack told the jury that he had asked his son Dara: “Who shot you?” when he found him injured and bleeding on the ground near his Blanchardstown home, on the evening of February 11th, 2006.
Mr McCormack said Dara was struggling for breath as he replied “Aidan, Aidan Da.”
Mr McCormack asked “Aidan Finnegan f**king shot you?” and his son said: “Yes Da, Aidan.”
Mr McCormack then broke down in tears as he described how his son said: “I can’t breathe, Da, I’m going to die,” and he tried to reassure him saying: “You’re not, son, hold my hand.”
He was brought to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown minutes later, but was pronounced dead shortly afterward from blood loss and multiple organ damage due to the gunshot wounds.
He had sustained gunshot wounds to the back, arm and head.
Aidan Finnegan (30), Whitestown Avenue, Hartstown, Blanchardstown, denies murdering Dara McCormack (22).
Mr McCormack, a father of seven, told the jury his son had been friends with Mr Finnegan for years and the two “did everything together”.
He said they had gone to school together, they played on the same football team and had horses together.
They both went to the Canary Islands for a year where they lived together and worked in bars. He described them as being like “brothers”.
In the weeks before his son’s killing, Mr McCormack said Mr Finnegan had called to their house on a number of occasions to see Dara.
One on occasion he remembered that Dara had stayed upstairs when Mr Finnegan called to the door and had said to say he was not home.
On the night of the shooting, he said Dara returned home from work at about 8.30pm. He gave his younger sister €5 to press his shirt and trousers as he was going out for the night.
He had said he wasn’t going far because he had work in the morning.
Mr McCormack said he heard Dara receiving two or three calls on his mobile phone, before he left again at about 9.15pm.
He said he was alone watching television for a few minutes, when a young neighbour knocked on the door and said: “Tommy, quick, quick, Dara’s after been shot.”
He ran after him and found his son lying on the road bleeding.
A number of neighbours had gathered around, and he had the conversation with Dara as Dublin Fire Brigade paramedics tried to assist him.
Patrick Marrinan SC, defending, put it to Mr McCormack that none of the paramedics had heard any of the conversation, nor any mention of Mr Finnegan, even though they were in “close proximity” to his son.
Another young witness who had been playing football near the scene of the shooting, said he had only heard a Christian name mentioned in the conversation. Mr McCormack said he could not explain why this was.
Mr Marrinan also said it was his client’s position that Mr McCormack “bore him animosity” because of an incident a number of years back when he had fought with his older son, Thomas. As Mr McCormack tried to break the fight up, Mr Finnegan had punched him.
Mr McCormack denied he had animosity towards Mr Finnegan, and said he had no recollection of that incident.
The case resumes today before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan.