The chief witness against five Limerick men on trial for murder has told a jury that he witnessed one of the accused push his uncle to the ground and shoot him in the head.
When he appeared in the Central Criminal Court amid tight security yesterday, Mr Owen Treacy (31), gave a detailed account of the night Mr Kieran Keane was shot dead and he was left fighting for his life after being stabbed numerous times.
Mr Treacy, a Limerick bread man, arrived in court flanked by two Special Branch detectives wearing ear-pieces who took up position on either side of the jury.
Mr Treacy identified one of the accused, Mr David Stanners, as the man who shot Mr Keane dead at Drombana, Limerick, on January 29th last. He also identified Mr Stanners as the man who stabbed him numerous times, leaving him for dead.
In a clear voice, the witness told Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, that they had been abducted, hooded and had their hands tied behind their backs with duct tape.
He said that at around 7 p.m. that night he accompanied Mr Keane to a house in Fairgreen, Limerick. When they arrived they were met by a man identified as Mr X, who told Mr Keane "the lads were inside".
He went into the sitting room and Mr Desmond Dundon and Mr Anthony McCarthy were inside. "Noddy McCarthy had a handgun in his hand," he said.
"Did you know Desmond Dundon?" counsel inquired. "I know him all my life, my lord," Mr Treacy replied. Turning to the row of accused men, he pointed directly at Mr Dundon: "The second man on the right."
We were told to sit there, "play along and we would be okay," the witness said. He claimed the men wanted them to get Kieran and Philip Collopy "out the road for them" to kill them. "There was no way we could do that."
He alleged that Mr Dundon ordered them to stand while he tied their hands behind their backs. Two men then appeared from the kitchen wearing balaclavas.
He knew one of them to be "David 'Frog's Eyes' Stanners. I knew his voice all my life." He alleged that Mr Dundon placed hoods over their heads, which he taped down.
They were led out and placed in the boot of a silver Micra. "Mr X was in the passenger seat and 'Noddy' McCarthy was the driver." They went to a house in Roundwood Estate, Rosbrien, and drove into the garage. The witness said he and Mr Keane were again asked "about getting the Collopys out to Sandwell Bank, near the Island fields". "Kieran said 'there's no way we're going to do that'." The witness recalled Mr Dundon talking on the phone and saying "we've got them". Some 10 minutes later, they were led back down the stairs. He was pushed into a green Hiace van by Mr McCarthy and Mr Keane by Mr Dundon.
He said Mr Christopher Costelloe had a handgun. It looked like the same .38 revolver that Mr McCarthy allegedly had in Fairgreen. "I could see David 'Frog's Eyes' Stanners was the driver of the van and in the passenger seat, my lord, was James McCarthy who I know all my life." Mr Costelloe sat in the back armed with the handgun, he said
When the van stopped, Mr Stanners ordered them out and pushed Mr Keane to the ground. "And I witnessed David 'Frog's Eyes' Stanners shoot my uncle in the back of the head," Mr Treacy alleged.
He said Mr Stanners and Mr Costelloe came towards him. "Smokie stabbed me in the throat." Mr Treacy said he cut his palm as he tried to take the knife. "I was stabbed 17 times on the 29th of January. David Stanners stabbed me in the chest a good few times my lord," he said.
The witness added that he kept stabbing him in the ear and neck. "I was stabbed twice in the lung with terrible force and pressure." "Who stabbed you?" asked Mr Buckley. "Frog's Eyes David Stanners," the witness replied.
"Stanners said: 'This is the last face you're going to see and he stuck the knife into me'." He said he heard Mr McCarthy saying "He's dead, he's dead, he's dead."
"I played dead, my lord because I knew it was the only way to get rid of these men." After they drove off he went over to where Mr Keane was lying and could see he was barely breathing. He went to a nearby house for help.
Cross-examined by Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, for Mr Dundon, the witness said the night of January 29th was the worst night of his life.
He said there was never any animosity between him and Mr Dundon. Asked what conceivable motive could Mr Dundon have, Mr Treacy replied: "I don't know why he done it but he done it." The five accused have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Keane (36), of Garryowen, Limerick on January 29th last at Drombana, Bushy Island, Limerick and to falsely imprisoning Mr Keane on the same date.
They also deny the attempted murder of Mr Treacy (31) of St Mary's Park on January 29th last and to falsely imprisoning him.
They are: Mr Desmond Dundon (20), Hyde Road, Limerick; Mr David Stanners (31), Pineview Gardens, Moyross; Mr James McCarthy (24), Delmege Park, Moyross; Mr Christopher Costelloe (20), Moylish Avenue, Ballynanty Beg and Mr Anthony McCarthy (21), Fairgreen, Garryowen.
The trial continues at Cloverhill Courthouse on Tuesday.