A hostile crowd surrounded gardaí at a funeral in Sligo in 1999 and forced them to abandon attempts to arrest a man seen dumping a gun in a ditch, a jury has heard. The man is on trial for one murder and two attempted murders.
The Central Criminal Court heard that there were Garda checkpoints at all five approach roads to the cemetery in Carrownanty, Ballymote, and more gardaí near the graveyard. However, despite that presence, Det Sgt Thomas A. Farragher told the court, a volatile and hostile situation quickly developed that was out of Garda control.
Another Garda witness, Insp James Kearns, of Manorhamilton Garda station, told of hearing seven shots while he was at the scene.
In the Central Criminal Court Mr Martin McDonagh (30) has denied the murder of Patrick "Deuce" Ward (38) at the funeral of Patrick "Skillet" Ward in Carrownanty, Ballymote, Co Sligo, on May 10th, 1999.
Mr McDonagh, formerly of Cherry Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, has also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of Mr Patrick "Jaws" Ward snr and "Jaws Paddy" Ward jnr on the same date.
The prosecution case is that Mr McDonagh was part of "a joint enterprise" with other men to attack and kill or seriously injure members of the "Mountbellew Ward" Travelling family at the funeral of Patrick "Skillet" Ward in Ballymote.
In evidence Insp Kearns, who was a uniformed sergeant at the time, said that by 1.40 p.m. on May 10th, 1999, there were about 70 to 80 members of one Traveller family assembled near the scene.
He asked to speak to a spokesman for the group, and the accused man's father, Mr Michael McDonagh, stepped forward. He told Mr McDonagh that the group would have to be searched before entering the graveyard. As he began to search a number of volunteers, two vehicles approached and the majority of the crowd broke off and ran towards them.
"There was general mayhem," Insp Kearns said. He said he radioed for help. Two minutes later he heard two shots being fired from the crowd. He then saw a green van was on fire and, as he went to extinguish the fire, he heard four more shots.
Det Sgt Farragher said he saw a man he identified as Mr McDonagh, running down the road and dumping a gun into a ditch. The trial continues before the jury and Mr Justice Carney.