A trial witness who was told who was responsible for a fatal attack on a 19-year-old Dublin man was threatened in case he told anyone what he knew, a murder trial jury heard yesterday.
Mr Damien Devine, from Templeogue, Dublin, was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court on the second day of the trial of three young men accused of the murder of Mr Brian Mulvaney three years ago.
Mr Devine said that, after an ambulance had removed the fatally-injured man from the street, he walked down the road with Mr Brian Willoughby and one of his co-accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
"He [the third named accused] said 'We done that', like he was worried," Mr Devine said.
"Brian Willoughby said that if I said anything he would kick my head in and he called [the third named accused] a f-----g eejit," he added.
Mr Brian Willoughby (24), of Orwell Park, Templeogue, Mr Neal Barbour (20), Domville Road, Templeogue, and the teenager who cannot be named deny the murder of Mr Mulvaney, of Firhouse, Dublin, on March 11th, 2000, at Templeogue.
Under cross-examination by Mr Michael McMahon SC, for Mr Willoughby, the witness said he did not initially tell gardaí what he had heard because he was afraid of the defendant.
Mr Paul O'Connor told Mr Tom O'Connell SC, prosecuting, that he saw Mr Willoughby walking down the road with Mr Mulvaney.
The prosecution alleges that shortly afterwards Mr Willoughby met the two co-accused.
He asked them to help him attack Mr Mulvaney because he was jealous that a girl he liked, Ms Suzanne McVey, had rejected him in favour of the deceased at a party.
A number of witnesses told the court that Mr Mulvaney was "in great form" at the party and was chatting and mixing well with the other partygoers.
Ms Orla Carroll, who hosted the party, said there was a "great atmosphere" in the house and many of the partygoers took either drink or drugs, or both.
Ms Suzanne Dillon said that at one stage she noticed Mr Willoughby standing at the bottom of the stairs "staring" at Mr Mulvaney.
A number of witnesses gave evidence of seeing the third named accused "covered in blood" in the early hours of the morning at the party.
Both he and Mr Willoughby claimed there had been a fight with a gang from the local area.
The trial continues today before Mr Justice White and a jury.