One of the three men charged in connection with the murder of a Co Sligo community activist told a Garda detective he wanted to take the gun he used to kill Mr Terry Madden "out of circulation", the Special Criminal Court in Dublin was told yesterday.
Det Garda Dermot Flannery said Mr Michael Joseph Herron (31), a single man, from Belleek, Co Fermanagh, with an address at Chapel Street, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, phoned him on March 5th, 1999 and asked to meet him. Mr Herron told him he wanted to get rid of the gun, he said.
Det Garda Flannery was giving evidence on the third day of the trial of the three men, who deny murdering Mr Madden, a 52year-old father of three, outside his home at Monasteraden, Co Sligo on January 28th, 1999. The others are Private Michael Doohan (34), of Ashbury Lawn, Ballinode, Co Sligo and Mr Patrick McGrath (57), a married father of 12, of Cuilprughlish, Gurteen, Co Sligo.
The court had heard Mr Madden bled to death after he was shot in the back of both legs. The prosecution has claimed Mr Herron was the gunman.
Det Garda Flannery said he and Det Garda Tom Flynn drove to Ballyshannon, where he met Mr Herron, who directed him to Mullaghroe and from there he drove across a railway track.
Mr Herron said he would go to where the gun was but returned and said the gun wasn't there.
They drove to another location where Mr Herron said the gun was probably left the morning Mr Madden was killed. He asked for 30 minutes and the two detectives left the area for that amount of time. When they returned, Mr Herron came back to the car in a dishevelled state and said the gun must have been put somewhere else. He said Mr Herron later showed them another location where shotgun cartridges were found after a search.
Earlier, Det Garda Flannery said that Mr Herron had made no complaints against any garda during questioning at Manorhamilton Garda station on February 16th, 1999.
He also denied threatening Mr Herron, assaulting him or offering any inducements to make him confess to the Madden murder.
The trial continues today.