A man accused of murder took out a £100,000 life assurance policy one month before he was shot dead at a range so close that the gun could have touched his skin, a jury has heard.
Martin Comerford's body was found in a laneway behind Ontario Terrace, off Lower Mount Pleasant Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin, on the morning of April 26th, 1999. He had been shot in the chest with a sawn-off shotgun. Comerford (36), with an address at Charlemont Street, Dublin, was due to go on trial later that day for the murder of Anthony "Chester" Beatty.
In the Central Criminal Court Mr Paul McCarthy (37), of Chamber Court, Chamber Street, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Comerford. The jury has heard that Mr McCarthy told gardai he shot his lifelong friend at Comerford's own request.
On the day the body was found, Mr McCarthy was drinking in the company of Comerford's widow and sister-in-law in a local pub before gardai informed Mrs Comerford of the death of her husband.
The trial heard that Martin Comerford took out a life assurance policy for £100,000 with Norwich Union on February 22nd, 1999. The clerk who effected the policy proposal could not remember if she had had a face-to-face meeting with him or whether it was done over the phone, but she noted that both she and Comerford had signed the policy on the same date. It was issued four days later to Comerford's address.
A handwriting expert, Det Garda Ray Jackman, told Mr Paul McDermott SC, prosecuting, that he examined the signature on the policy and compared it with bail documents signed by Martin Comerford. In his opinion, the policy bore Comerford's signature, he said.
Before Martin Comerford's death, two direct debits had gone towards the policy from an account opened by him in AIB, Richmond Street, Dublin. A third payment of £33.50 left his account on April 29th, 1999, three days after he was shot.
The Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, said that Comerford died from a single shotgun injury to the chest, causing extensive damage to his rib cage and left lung.
The jury heard that Martin Comerford went drinking at about 4.15 p.m. on Sunday, April 25th, and stayed drinking until some time after midnight. The accused man was in his company in one pub that evening and later joined him and his wife, Karen, in another pub.
In her evidence, Ms Karen Comerford said she could not remember leaving Bambricks pub that night but she had got home and could recall her husband being there. When she woke up the next morning her husband was not in bed. When she went downstairs to check, his leather jacket was in the sitting room. That evening she was taken to the City Morgue to identify his body.
The owner of Bambricks pub, Mr William Bambrick, said that he saw Karen Comerford, her sister, Alison McGrath, and the accused man, Paul McCarthy, in the lounge of his pub at about noon on April 26th. He said they remained there until about 2.30 p.m. and returned later that afternoon with others.
Ms Comerford said that she knew about her husband's life assurance policy. She asked him why he had taken it out, and he said it was there if anything ever happened to him.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Carney.