A man accused of attempted murder told gardai he was a "hit-man" and if the money was right he would do it again, a garda told a jury in the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
Mr John Reilly (27), of Lower Wellington Street, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder Mr John Alford on December 11th, 1996, at Ballyfermot Drive, Dublin.
Mr Reilly also pleaded not guilty to unlawfully and maliciously intending to do grievous bodily harm to a second occupant of Mr Alford's car, his girlfriend, Ms Violet Blackburn Power.
Mr Reilly also denied possession of a firearm and .45 calibre ammunition with intent to endanger life.
Giving evidence, Det Garda Brian Woods read out statements allegedly given by Mr Reilly to gardai while in custody.
In his alleged first statement i, Mr Reilly said he had been with a friend on the day in question and that they had "the wrong man".
"I didn't do the shooting", and shooting people was not his "style", he allegedly told gardai.
The alleged second statement gave details of the events of the night of the shooting of Mr Alford.
Mr Reilly allegedly told gardai he had no remorse for the shooting, saying "It's a job. If asked to do it again and the money was right I would. I see myself as a hit-man. I have killed other people. They're in England."
The court was told the statement was taken by Garda Ian McLoughlin and Garda Brian Woods of Ballyfermot station in the form of an interview.
In the second statement, dated January 13th, 1997, the accused is alleged to have said he had been asked by a man he did not know to murder Mr Alford for an agreed sum of £5,000. Of this, £2,500 was to be paid "before and the other £2,500 after the job."
According to the statement, Mr Reilly told gardai that the man approached him and asked him to do the job because the man knew the accused had shot a person before.
Mr Reilly requested a .38 calibre handgun because they were reliable and did not jam, according to the statement, and was taken to a safe house where he would stay for two days before the shooting was to take place.
According to the second statement Mr Reilly said that after two days he was driven from the safe house to a dark-coloured BMW with Irish registration plates, "and I could see it was stolen".
"I got into the back seat," the statement read, and "asked where the gun was. I held the gun by my side, which I could see was loaded, and I put on a balaclava.
"We drove around for an hour and a half" before finding Mr Alford, the statement said. "We turned right and started ramming him. There were three in the car. We rammed them four or five times."
The BMW stopped alongside Mr Alford's car, and Mr Reilly jumped out of the front passenger seat and shot Mr Alford three or four times, the statement said.
"At no time did I ask why he wanted him shot," Mr Reilly allegedly told gardai.
In an alleged third statement Mr Reilly said he did not really mean it that he had no remorse. "I intended to shoot him dead. I'm glad he's not dead," and "I know [Ms Violet Blackburn Power] got hit by one of the bullets. I never meant to hurt her. My business was just to do the hit and get paid for it.
"I still haven't been paid the other 2 1/2 grand. I bunged nearly all of it up my arm," Mr Reilly allegedly said.
"It's the first time I've ever used a spinner [revolver]. They're supposed to be better than automatics."
In the statement he admitted having been a heroin addict for the past six years, spending £75 per day on the drug.
To pay for his habit, Mr Reilly allegedly admitted to "doing a handbag snatch" every day.
The trial before Mr Justice O'Donovan and a jury of four men and eight women continues today.