TWO men accused of murdering a Tipperary farmer Danny Fanning last year made verbal admissions to gardai while in custody, the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.
The court was told one of the accused, Mr Ivor Sweetman, told gardai: "I was asked to go down the country by a man to frighten a farmer. I helped to tie up two women in a bedroom. I talked to them. I did not hurt them. I heard a shotgun blast. I did not fire a gun. I was not told about guns being used."
Det Garda Byrne alleged Mr Francis Palmer told the detectives he would not kill anyone; others had pulled the trigger, he was "just the driver". The court heard neither man signed the alleged statements and Mr Sweetman had said he "never said that".
In the third week of the trial of Mr Sweetman (46), of Bawnlea Green, Jobstown, Tallaght, and Mr Palmer (26), from Foxborough Road, Lucan, Co Dublin, who have both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Fanning at his home at Stephenstown, Rosegreen, Cashel, Co Tipperary, on February 6th last year, the jury heard from gardai about the circumstances of the two men's arrest and questioning.
At the opening of the trial on April 21st, Mr Kenneth Mills SC, prosecuting, said Mr Fanning (71) died from shock and haemhorrage after an artery in his leg was severed following a shotgun blast.
Sgt Tom O'Brien, stationed in Cashel, Co Tipperary, told the court that at 7.25 a.m. on March 15th, 1996, he went to a house at Bawnlea Green in Tallaght and, with up to 10 other gardai, executed a search warrant there and arrested Mr Ivor Sweetman. The search and arrest were explained to Mr Sweetman. No firearms or anything of significance were found, Sgt O'Brien told Barry White SC, for Mr Sweetman.
The court heard Mr Francis Palmer was arrested at on March 9th, 1996, at a house in Foxborough Road, Lucan. A baseball bat was found. Mr Palmer was detained for 48 hours at Cahir where he was interviewed by different teams of detectives.
The trial continues today before Mr Justice Moriarty.