A man has been found not guilty of shooting and injuring twin brothers who claimed the person who carried out the attack was not in court.
Mr Patrick Connors, from St Oliver's Park, Clondalkin, Dublin, had denied at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life and assault causing harm to Mr Martin O'Donnell and Mr Patrick O'Donnell on August 26th, 2002.
Mr Patrick O'Donnell told the court he had gone to see his brother at St Oliver's halting site, where he went to check on his horses.
Another man tried to put his horse in the same field, but "I wouldn't let him". He was then shot. "It all happened in split seconds. Shots were fired and I went to the ground and remember nothing else." he said.
When asked by Mr Garnett Orange, prosecuting, who had shot him, he replied: "He's not in this courthouse." His brother, Mr Martin O'Donnell, said he could not identify the person who carried out the shooting.
Judge Joseph Matthews noted that prosecution counsel had referred to another case in Limerick where witnesses had suffered from what counsel called "collective amnesia". If we wait here 'til hell freezes over, no one is going to say anything," said Judge Matthews. He directed the jury to find Mr Connors not guilty.