A man on trial for the murder of his Naval Service crewmate told gardaí he pushed him in the chest and he then went over the side of the ship and drowned, the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday .
Det Garda Brendan Supple, Pearse Street Garda station, Dublin, was giving evidence in the trial of apprentice ship mechanic, Mr Seán Lundon (21), James Connolly Park, Tipperary town. Mr Lundon denies the murder of Able Seaman Brian Gorey (21), Castletroy View, Limerick, at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin, in April 2001.
Mr Lundon told gardaí: "He was struggling with me, he was kind of slapping out at me. I was trying to defend myself and I pushed him back hard into the chest and he went into the water."
Det Garda Supple told Mr Tom O'Connell SC, prosecuting, that during questioning, Mr Lundon said he and Mr Gorey had a row in the recreation room on board the LE Eithne. Mr Gorey had been asleep on a couch. Mr Lundon said that when he tried to shake him awake to see if he wanted to go to bed, Mr Gorey fired an ashtray at him. He reacted by punching him in the face with clenched fists and hitting him on the head with a brush handle.
Det Garda Supple told Mr O'Connell that Mr Lundon said he carried Mr Gorey over his shoulder to the deck for some fresh air. As he sat him on top of the deck rail, Mr Gorey struggled and went overboard. "I tried to grab him by the lower part of his body. When he went into the water I cried for help," Mr Lundon told gardaí. Asked by gardaí why he had not left Mr Gorey in the recreation room after the assault, he replied: "I panicked and lost control of the situation."
Det Garda Supple told Mr Brendan Grehan SC, defending, that consideration had not been given to recording Garda interviews using facilities in another Garda station. Det Garda Supple agreed with Mr Grehan that there appeared to be "no adverse history" or animosity between the two men.