One of the accused in the Brian Murphy manslaughter trial had told gardaí he gave him "two good belts" on the night he was kicked to death outside the Burlington Hotel, the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told yesterday.
Mr Dermot Laide made a statement on September 1st, 2000, the day after Mr Murphy died, and made a further memo on September 26th when he told Det Garda Thomas Rock he had given the deceased "two good belts", and that he had said that in his statement.
He declined to say anything else or to sign that memo.
Det Sgt J.J. Keane earlier read out to the court the statement he had taken from Mr Laide on September 1st in the presence of his father, Mr Brian Laide, and Det Insp Declan Coburn.
In the statement, Mr Laide told gardaí he had not been let into Club Anabel's because his friend, Mr Michael Carroll, had been refused entry for not being over 19 and he, the accused, was guilty by association.
He stayed outside for the night with two others, Mr Shane Fallon and Mr David Sherlock, and remembered at some point Mr Seán Mackey, another accused, being thrown out of the club. Another friend, Mr Shane Lonergan, was also thrown out and Mr Laide said Mr Mackey looked like he had too much to drink.
He said that at one point a group of about six or seven began to slag Mr Andrew Frame, who is also on trial, and he was being shoved in an aggressive manner. Mr Mackey then walked into the middle of this group and had a verbal altercation with "a guy in a red shirt", whom the jury have heard since the outset was Brian Murphy.
Mr Laide said this youth then pushed Mr Mackey in the face with an open hand and there was some more pushing and shoving. Someone backed into Mr Laide and he said to him: "What are you starting fights for? I hate fighting".
He remembered two of them punching Andrew Frame and Seán Mackey. He went to Mr Frame's assistance because it looked like he was getting badly beaten. He kicked someone in the shin and threw a punch but he didn't think it connected. He then punched someone in the head.
Mr Laide said the youth in the red top then threw a punch at him and he kicked him once in the calf area. This person then backed off and Mr Laide said he then continued fighting with the other youth. At this point, about 10 or 12 people joined in the fighting and he remembered the "guy in the red top" stumbling towards him.
Mr Laide said he remembered about three or four people punching "the guy in the red top." The next thing he saw was the youth in red lying on the ground.
Two people then carried the youth across the road. He said he went over twice to see if he was OK and Andrew Frame was also there. Mr Laide and Mr Frame then went back to the Burlington Hotel side of the road and someone came over and punched Mr Frame twice in the head. Mr Laide then punched this person in the teeth and cut his hand before the two were separated.
Mr Andrew Frame (22), from Nutley Lane, Donnybrook, Mr Seán Mackey (23), from South Park, Foxrock, Mr Desmond Ryan (22), from Cunningham Road, Dalkey, all Co Dublin, and Mr Dermot Laide (22), from Rossvale, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, have pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of 18-year-old Mr Murphy at Sussex Road on August 31st, 2000. The four former Blackrock College students have also denied committing violent disorder by using or threatening to use unlawful violence on the same date.
Det Sgt Keane said that when Mr Laide was in Donnybrook Garda station he also handed over all the clothes and footwear he was wearing on the night.
Former Garda inspector Joseph Harte said he travelled to Mr Laide's home in Monaghan on September 28th, 2000, and conducted a search. They seized a pair of shoes because a witness had said he had seen black shoes with a buckle or metal bar being involved in the kicking of Brian Murphy. The trial will continue in legal argument before Judge Michael White in the absence of the jury until Thursday.