An Assistant Garda Commissioner told the Special Criminal Court yesterday a Northern Ireland man accused of murdering a Co Sligo community activist, Mr Terry Madden, had told him he had not intended to kill him.
Mr Kevin Carty said Mr Michael Joseph Herron was "very remorseful" when he saw him at Manorhamilton Garda station on February 16th last year.
Mr Carty was giving evidence on the fifth day of the trial of three men who deny murdering Mr Madden at his home at Monasteraden, Co Sligo, on January 28th last year.
Mr Carty said he and Det Insp Tadhg Foley went to an interview room after Mr Herron had asked to see a senior Garda officer. Mr Herron told him he had not intended to kill Mr Madden and was very remorseful, Mr Carty said.
The Assistant Commissioner said he was told later that day Mr Herron wanted to speak to him again. Mr Herron told him he was making a statement and had told the truth about the shooting of Mr Terry Madden.
Cross-examined by Mr Herron's counsel, Mr Brendan Grogan SC, Mr Carty denied he had told Herron that if he "came clean" about the shooting he would not be done for murder but would probably get five to seven years.
Earlier, the court ruled that Judge Oliver McGuinness's order extending the detention of one of the three accused by 24 hours last year was invalid. The court ruled that verbal admissions made by Mr Michael Doohan after 4.30 p.m. on February 15th, 1999, could not therefore be admitted in evidence.