One of the two men accused of shooting publican Charlie Chawke during an armed robbery outside his premises has gone on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Larry Cummins (54), of Mellows Road, Finglas, has pleaded not guilty to intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Chawke, robbery of €48,652 in cash and cheques, possession of a shotgun with the intention to commit robbery and two counts of possession of a shotgun with the intention of resisting arrest at The Goat Grill, Goatstown and Stillorgan Heath on October 6, 2003.
Mr Chawke told the court that he came out of The Goat Grill at around 12.30 p.m with a yellow bag containing cash and cheques from a number of his licensed premises. He got into his silver Mercedes and placed the bag in the divide between the driver and passenger seats. Mr Chawke said he saw a man carrying a shotgun approaching him in his car door mirror. The man came up to his car, opened the driver door and said "give me the f****** money," he said.
It is alleged that this man was not Cummins but his accomplice.
Mr Chawke said: "I saw an opportunity and dived for the gun but missed it and fell out onto the street". He said his attacker said "I'll f******* sort you out" before taking aim and shooting him in the knee. "He then stepped over me and took the bag", said Mr Chawke.
Garda Nigel Burke told Mr McCarthy that he and three colleagues were in a patrol car which had stopped at red lights outside The Goat Grill at the time of the shooting. "I heard a loud bang which I initially thought was fireworks and then saw people running from the direction of The Goat."
He saw a man running from a silver car and another lying on the ground. He went after the man who ran back to a red Volkswagen and grabbed him in a "bear hug" as he got into the driver seat of the car. He heard this man twice shout "shoot the c***" to his accomplice.
Gda Burke said he and Gda Sweeney chased the men down a lane way as a group of schoolgirls came from the opposite direction followed by a man on a push bike. Gda Sweeney told the jury he took the bike from the man and continued to chase the raiders. He saw them push two large items through a fence and followed them around a corner.
He and Gda Burke arrested the men after finding them hiding in bushes.