THE former girlfriend of a Limerick man charged with murder yesterday denied he had asked her to provide an alibi for him for the night of the killing.
Ms Emma Collins also denied gardai in a statement that Mr Anthony Broderick had told her that he and another man went down "to frighten Shady" and that "it all f...d up and they shot Jimmy Doyle by accident".
She said gardai had forced her to make a false statement in connection with the incident.
Ms Collins was giving evidence on the third day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court of Mr Anthony Broderick (22), of O'Malley Park, Limerick, who has denied the murder of Mr James Doyle (49), also of O'Malley Park, on September 3rd, 1995.
Ms Collins, who was the girlfriend of Mr Broderick at that time, said she had not wanted to make a statement to gardai. "I was forced to make it," she said. "A male garda told me I'd get locked up myself and would get in trouble if I didn't help them."
Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, read parts of the statement to the witness and she denied them, saying the gardai "made that up". She provided an alibi for Mr Broderick "because that was the truth".
Mr Buckley asked her to verify her signature on the statement and she did but said she did not remember signing it. She said nothing was read back to her. Mr Buckley suggested it was read back and she said she couldn't remember.
Ms Collins told Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, defending, that she was under arrest when she was in Roxboro Road station on September 12th 1995.
Del Garda Susan Delaney said she and other gardai had interviewed Ms Collins on September 12th, 1995, at Roxboro Road Garda station in Limerick. She said Ms Collins made a statement, after being cautioned, which was read back to her. Ms Collins had signed the statement. Det Garda Delaney said she and other gardai, had witnessed it.
Det Garda Gerard Doherty said he had arrested Mr Broderick in O'Malley Park on September 11th, 1995, under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act on suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life at O'Malley Park on September 3rd 1995.
He was at interviews with Mr Broderick on that date and the following two days. He said Mr Broderick had given an account of his movements on September 3rd, 1995, and declined to answer certain other questions.
Del Garda Doherty said Mr Broderick had signed the notes of that interview. He had declined to sign notes of a further interview on September 12th, 1995, and said he had "signed all I'm going to sign". He had also asked to see his girlfriend on September 12th and she had met him, the witness said.
Del Garda Doherty had told Mr Broderick on September 13th that he was releasing him from the provisions of Section 30 and then rearrested him for the murder of Mr James Doyle on September 3rd, 1995. He said he cautioned Mr Broderick and he replied "No comment."
At the outset of the trial yesterday, Mr Justice Flood said a picture of Mr Broderick in The Irish Times had been drawn to his attention. While the photograph was unfortunate it must not influence the jury's decision.
The trial was adjourned until this morning.