Biker shot member of rival cycle club dead in territorial dispute

A biker shot a member of a rival motorcycle club dead over a territorial dispute in Co Limerick, a murder trial has heard.

Alan McNamara (50), of Mountfune, Murroe, Co Limerick, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Andrew O'Donoghue (51) in Murroe on June 20th, 2015.

His stepson, Robert Cusack (28), is charged with impeding Mr McNamara's apprehension knowing or believing him to have committed a serious offence. He has also pleaded not guilty and both men are being tried together at the Central Criminal Court.

Opening the trial, Michael Delaney SC, for the prosecution, told the jury they will hear evidence that Mr McNamara, a retired carpenter, was a member of the Montfune based Road Tramps motorcycle club but later became a member of the Caballeros, a club based in Limerick City.

The court heard that on June 19th, 2015, Mr McNamara and his wife went to the village of Doon in Limerick by bike and visited Kelly's Pub.

Sleeveless jacket

Mr McNamara was wearing the colours of the Caballeros, a badge or emblem worn on the back of a black sleeveless jacket. This, Mr Delaney said, was a “provocative act” as Doon is in the Road Tramps’ area.

Seamus Duggan, a witness, told Mr Delaney he has been member of the Road Tramps for about five years. He said he had heard of Mr McNamara, who was known as ‘Cookie,‘ but he had not met him before June 19th, 2015.

On that day he received a phone call from another club member who said ‘Cookie’ was in Doon wearing Caballero colours and that he and two other Road Tramps went to find out if it was true.

When the three arrived in Doon they saw Mr McNamara coming out of the pub.

One of them told Mr McNamara to take off his colours. “He didn’t, so they manhandled him,” Mr Duggan said. “They removed his waistcoat from him.”

Mr Duggan said he and the two other Road Tramps then left in one car. As they pulled away, he said Mr McNamara threw his helmet at the side of the car and shouted, “You’re dead,” at one of them.

‘U-turn’

The following day Mr Duggan was in Doon when he saw a man he knew to be a member of the Caballeros pass him in a car. There were two or three others in the car but he did not know them.

“I jumped in to my van and took off as fast as I could because I knew they were following me when I saw them do a U-turn.”

He said he drove at speeds up to 100mph as he tried to get away.

Mr Delaney previously told the jury that Mr Duggan decided to go to the Road Tramps clubhouse where he would be met by other club members.

The deceased, he said, was at the clubhouse waiting, going in and out the gate and looking down the road, when Mr McNamara arrived carrying a sawn-off double barrel shotgun.

As Mr McNamara ran towards the gate, Mr O’Donoghue tried to close it. Counsel said there would be evidence that Mr McNamara then shot Mr O’Donoghue once in the head at point blank range.

Mr Delaney said the accused tried to reload while a member of the Road Tramps closed the gate and Mr O’Donoghue lay fatally wounded on the ground.

Mr Delaney said there would be evidence that Mr Cusack took the shotgun from his father and it was later found in a wooded area.

The trial continues.