A Dublin man accused of capital murder intended to kill himself with poisonous injections the day before he killed a Garda sergeant in an inferno, a jury at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin heard today.
Mr Daniel O'Toole (37) of Crumlin in Dublin denies murdering Sgt Andrew Callanan at Tallaght Garda Station and pleaded not guilty to capital murder but guilty to manslaughter.
If he is found guilty of capital murder he will be given an automatic 40-year prison sentence.
Mr O'Toole also pleaded not guilty to a further charge of arson on the same date with intention to damage property.
Former co-worker at a film set security firm Mr Krisztof Bajai told the court he feared for the defendant's safetyfollowing a conversation with him at his home on July 20th 1999.
He said he was aware Mr O'Toole was having marital difficulties and had been prevented from seeing his children, which upset him greatly.
Mr Bajai told the court he visited the accused at his home following a telephone conversation in which O'Toole was crying, "distressed, upset and worried."
He said that when he arrived first Mr O'Toole was at his computer and he became aware of the syringes, one of which contained ammonia and one contained hydrochloric acid.
"When I first went in he had hidden the syringes under the keyboard and said 'I was going to pump those into myself earlier on'. I took them and emptied them down the sink and told him not to do anything stupid," Mr Bajai told the court.
Asked by defence counsel Mr George Bermingham SC did Mr O'Toole mean by his remark the syringes were for the purposes of killing himself Mr Bajai replied he did.
He said they had also discussed downloading from the Internet a book called the Terrorists Handbook, which explained how to use household chemicals in an unlawful manner and how to make improvised projectile weapons.
He said the accused had been drinking vodka and coke and that when he left the house his mood had lifted.
Previously the court heard it was the prosecution's case Mr O'Toole walked into Tallaght Garda Station shortly after 4 a.m. on July 21st 1999, set the public area alight, walked out and later rang gardaí in Harcourt Square and asked after the guard injured in the conflagration.
Sgt Andrew Callanan was burned to death in the conflagration.
His mobile number was recorded at Harcourt Square when the telephone call was received and Mr O'Toole was later contacted by gardaí in connection with the killing. He allegedly later told gardaí he "committed a terrible act" and that he had wanted to attack "the f**king system."
The trial before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of seven women and five men continues on Tuesday.